Frontier Generations: Serenade
by Cyberano
Summary: Ranka attends Mihoshi's boot camp to test her musical skills. Little did she know, her relationship with Sheryl will also be tested. Meanwhile, scientists discover more about the destruction of the 117th fleet. Ranka x Sheryl, some Nanase x Luca
1. Mvmt I: Da Capo

**Preface**

Hi Everyone! I just want to thank all the readers out there. FFnet keeps some stats on visitors and one of them is the reader's country of origin. The largest group of readers is from the US and Canada. The next largest group is from Europe with a good number of visitors from France. Merci beaucoup! Among the Asian countries, there's quite a bit of readers from Japan. I'd like to give special thanks to the Japanese fans out there, especially the artists who've created hundreds of She/Ran fanart! Domo arigatou gozaimashita!

A lot of the scenes in my fic was inspired by fanart and I've included the art in the html version of this fic which is posted on my homepage. If you are the artist or if you know the artist, please let me know and I will credit the art. For the html version, please see my profile for the link and She/Ran fanart.

Frontier Generations chronicles the lives of the Macross Frontier cast as they try to make a life on the Vajra Homeworld. It's written in a slice of life format which is why it has more detail and therefore longer.

FG: Wings is a companion story to this fic. Each fic can be read separately, but together, they make a more complete story. FG: Wings is about Sheryl's pilot boot camp while this fic is about Ranka's music camp. In a sense, it follows the Macross formula of a daredevil pilot and an enchanting singer. There are other ways in which the two fics are related and I'll explain it when the last chapter is released.

Without further ado, may I present _Frontier Generations: Serenade_.

* * *

**Mvmt I. Da Capo (From the beginning)**

Ranka sat in front of the mirror in her St. Maria's uniform. She picked up a makeup brush and carefully spread some eye shadow on her eyelid. When she opened her eye, her eyelid sparkled like tiny stars. Suddenly, the mirror lit up and her hair rose in surprise. Shimmering light coalesced into Sheryl's face. The room began to dissolve and she floated off her chair. Meanwhile, Sheryl reached out from the mirror and grabbed her hand. As the Galaxy Fairy pulled her away from the chair, her clothes morphed into her yellow and orange concert dress. Together, they floated over the Frontier colony and sang into the starry night sky.

_Guided by the constellations, our eyes met._

As they sang that line, they reached for each other, sunset-hued eyes mirrored on sky blue ones. Ranka would have continued singing but she felt a tap on her shoulder. To her horror, Sheryl was devoured by a large green salamander that was held by a giant Ai.

"WAKE NOW!" thundered Ai.

Ranka woke with a start. Next to her bed, Ai held her wriggling phone which was playing Lion as a wake-up tone. A small video of Sheryl played on its light projected screen. She drowsily took the phone from Ai and squeezed it silent. "A few more minutes..." she pleaded.

"No! You say, then say again. Up now!" cajoled Ai who yanked on her arm. "If late, teacher mad! Stand outside again!"

"Ok... ok..." With a yawn and a stretch, the green-haired girl lurched away from her bed and grabbed a bathrobe and a towel. When she walked out into the hallway, sounds of activity came from the kitchen. Brera beat her to making breakfast. Another yawn escaped and she plodded her way toward the bathroom.

As warm drops of water rinsed her skin, she sighed contentedly and shampooed her hair with Meltene ProZ. Since she did that commercial for the manufacturer, she received a year's supply of the shampoo.

Her thoughts went back to that dream. "Camp hasn't even started and I miss her already..." she mused. That particular dream often reoccured, especially when they were busy with school and work and did not have time for dates. However, it was a nice dream and one that she did not mind having again.

After showering, she wiped her body and wore her bathrobe. Then she sat in front of the mirror and began to dry her hair with the towel. It was then that she noticed those daring eyes and mischievous smile which were printed on the fabric. That the smile was only inches away from her cheek. Slowly, her hand moved to close the distance and the soft fabric caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into it, imagining the real Sheryl instead. Warmth rose to her cheeks as her imagination went overboard. A knock on the door interrupted her daydream.

"Ranka done?" asked Ai.

"Ah! Yes... just a minute!" Ranka grabbed the hair dryer and brush. She opened the door. "I'm done, go ahead."

"Ok." Ai went into the shower.

"Don't forget to close the door!" said Ranka and closed the bathroom door. Despite all her explanations, Ai still did not grasp the notions of propriety.

"Sorry!"

* * *

When they were ready, they went downstairs for breakfast. Brera had already prepared some sausage links, egg and pancakes. Each plate had two symmetrical pancakes of about the same size, two sausages browned evenly, two scoops of scrambled egg and two square slices of butter. The sausages and egg scoops were neatly arranged on the pancakes while the slices of butter were carefully stacked on top of each other. As Ranka surveyed the identical portions, she grinned in amusement at her brother's precision cooking style.

After breakfast, Brera's drove them to school in his Subaru Impreza WRX. As they walked to the auditorium, they passed the lines of pilots in the parking lot. Ranka craned her neck and her face brightened when she spotted Sheryl. She was about to get her attention when an instructor spoke into the mic. Disappointed, she turned away.

"It's ok..." she consoled herself. "I'll try the link later."

At the auditorium, they met up with Nanase and waited with the rest of the Performance Arts students who passed the requirements for boot camp. Including themselves, there were about fourty students in the auditorium. A few minutes later, the director of Fine Arts and Performance Arts, Roy Roverock, walked onto the stage and spoke into the mic.

"Good morning, everyone! How's everybody feeling today?" greeted Mr. Roverock with his usual flamboyant style.

The students cheered in response.

He acted disappointed. "Are you still asleep? I thought all of you were looking forward to camp!" His voice rose in challenge and he punched his fist into the air. "DO YOU WANT TO GO?!"

Along with the crowd, Ranka and Ai imitated him and answered. The auditorium echoed with their enthusiasm. "YES!!!"

"Alright! That's more like it! We've got an awesome three weeks lined up for all of you. Follow your homeroom teacher to the buses outside. We'll give you more details along the way." His arms spread out in a welcoming gesture. "Let's go play!"

The students cheered wildly. As they made their way to the buses, Ranka was high with euphoria. A quick glance at her classmates indicated that they were feeling the same way. It was as if a current of excitement was running through the students. At that moment, she felt so happy to be in the PA course at Mihoshi.

While they rode the bus, their homeroom teacher, Mrs. Veffidas, explained the boot camp format. She handed a stack of folders to the students at the first row of the bus. "Camp runs from 7 to 6 PM. Workshops are two hours long and are led by a guest instructor. Here's the workshop schedule. Take one and pass it along. Sign up for as many as you want."

Ranka received a folder and found the schedule. She began marking off classes. Singing and acting were automatically added. To her disappointment, the piano workshop did not start until the second week. She signed up for it anyway and decided to take scriptwriting during the first week. After checking her free time, she looked over the list and decided to include modern dance and composition classes.

Once satisfied with the time slots, she helped Ai pick hers. When Ai first started drawing, she asked her why she liked it.

Ai replied, "Humans not like Vajra. I see, you not see. So draw. Ranka see drawing."

Ranka understood. Drawing and painting were other ways that Ai could communicate with other humans. Those classes were added to her list along with singing. Ranka left gaps in her schedule to give her extra time to work on her classes. Although Ai was considered a student, the teachers were aware that she was Vajra and was not at the same level as other students. Instead of a letter grade, they awarded pass or fail. Furthermore, since Ai was there to learn about human culture, the director made an exception for her to be in boot camp.

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Nanase from the seat behind them. "Andrea Lohraw is teaching the photography workshop!"

Ranka leaned over the aisle to look at her. "Who?"

Nanase pointed to a picture. "Andrea Lohraw! She's a famous photographer! I can't believe she's a guest instructor." The finger moved down the page. "Oh! Oh! Howie Zakimia is teaching film!"

Her eyes went round at the familiar name. Zakimia directed an academy award winning movie, The Flying Castle. "Where did you find this information?"

Her best friend flipped to the front cover. "I found it in the folder. It lists the instructors for each class."

Ranka found the booklet and her jaw dropped in surprise when she saw the instructor for singing. "Megan Knackegymma..." Megan was recently inducted to the Entertainers Hall of Fame and had several platinum albums. She scanned through the rest of her instructors. When she finally put the booklet down, she realized what the director meant. It was a really awesome lineup.

The surprises did not end there. Her jaw dropped once more when the bus dropped them off in front of a large Victorian mansion. Once there, the students separated by gender and an instructor led the girls to their rooms in the North wing while the boys went to the East wing. Along the way, they gazed in awe at the wide courtyards and marble halls.

Ranka entered the room that she would share with Ai. For several seconds, she just stood there and marvelled at the elegant furnishings and the canopied bed which Ai was already bouncing on.

"Is nice!" remarked Ai with delight.

"Be careful, Ai-chan!" warned Ranka with alarm when she noticed that the bedposts shook with each bounce. "It's an antique!"

"Ant, tick?" repeated Ai with confusion.

"Not insects. I mean... it's old, so you have to be careful. You might break it."

"Then throw away. Use new one."

As usual, Ai's perception about human culture made her think twice about things that she took forgranted. However, Ranka did not want to spend time explaining why people kept antiques at the moment. "Just don't bounce on it, ok? We're just borrowing it for three weeks."

"Ok."

After putting their luggage away, they met with their homeroom teacher in the courtyard. Mrs. Veffidas handed out a map of the mansion and gave a tour of its various facilities. Except for Brera who maintained his customary aloof expression, everyone was obviously bubbling with excitement. The first set of workshops started after lunch.

As they walked through the main courtyard, several buses drove up to the mansion. Mrs. Veffidas stopped and gestured at the students coming out of the buses. "By the way, we'll be sharing the mansion with the students from the Frontier Academy of Arts and Performance. Please get along with them."

Immediately, a sense of apprehension swept through her classmates. In many competitions, FAAP students often vied for first place against Mihoshi. The apprehension carried over during lunch when the Mihoshi and FAAP students sat facing each other in the long dining tables. Any attempt at conversation was limited to the weather and how nice the mansion was.

After lunch, Ranka checked the map to find out where the singing workshop was held. The booklet listed the room as 'The Serene Song of the Seductive Sea Siren'. She giggled and looked at the names of the other rooms. The rooms were workshops were held had interesting names. The room next to the singing workshop was called 'Stillness on a Golden Canvas'. A quick check of the class schedule revealed that the painting workshop was held there.

Ranka walked excitedly to the singing workshop. Before she entered, she noticed a sign above the door. 'The Serene Song of the Seductive Sea Siren' was printed on it in blue cursive text and embellished with gold foil. She giggled again.

When she opened the door, she immediately stopped in her tracks when she recognized a student in a FAAP uniform. The student recognized her as well.

"Why, hello, Ranka. Fancy meeting you here," greeted Miranda Melin.

"Hello, Miranda," replied Ranka calmly as she took a chair with a fair distance from her fellow actress. During the filming of Bird Human, Miranda acted as tempermental as the actor who played Shin Kudo. She was not in good terms with many members of the production crew. Ranka never forgot the unkind words that Miranda said before the director cast her as Mao.

"And who might this be? Your sister?" Miranda walked over, her bulging chest jiggling slightly with each step.

Ai offered her hand. "I'm Ai," responded the Vajra with practiced ease.

"My cousin," explained Ranka while Ai and Miranda shook hands.

"I hope she doesn't sing as well as you. Otherwise, I'm in for some stiff competition," said Miranda jokingly.

"She's ok. You can judge for yourself later."

"Speaking of judging, I hope Megan's a fair judge. Then at least, my talents can be recognized properly."

At that moment, Ms. Knackegymma came in. Everyone took their seats with great anticipation.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I'll be your instructor for the singing workshop. Since we'll be working together for the next two weeks, I'd like to know you better. Please introduce yourself to the class and say a little bit about yourself. It'll help me remember. Anyway, I'll start. I'm Megan Knackegymma. Call me Megan. I usually sing mezzo-soprano but I can sing contralto as well. I like strawberry covered donuts and milk tea." She gestured to a boy on the first row farthest from her. "Would you like to continue?"

The boy stood up and cleared his throat. "I'm Sam Pheaze, a second-year. I'm a tenor and I play guitar and drums. My favorite singer is Nekki Basara."

One by one, each student introduced himself or herself. Then Miranda's turn came. She stood up, flicked her curly locks with her right hand and greeted the class with a charming smile.

"Good afternoon. I'm Miranda Melin, as all of you know, of course. I'm a soprano. Even though I was nominated for the leading actress award and am the current Miss Macross, I still think that I have a long way to go. I hope to learn as much as I can from Ms. Knackegymma."

Their instructor said nothing and just nodded slightly. Finally, it was Ranka's turn.

"Um... Hi everyone. My name is Ranka Lee and I love to sing. Oh, I'm a mezzo-soprano. I like children and cute animals."

She sat down and immediately opened her mind to Ai to make sure that she did not reveal her Vajra nature during her introduction.

Ai stood up. "Hello. I am Ai Lee. I am a soprano. I like flowers." She sat down quickly.

Ranka exhaled with relief. Her heart almost stopped when Ai mentioned flowers. Ai always said how much she enjoyed eating the wriggling blossoms, so the green-haired girl was grateful that her charge did not elaborate why she liked flowers.

"Are you two related?" asked the famous singer.

"She's my cousin," replied Ranka.

After the introductions, Ranka was surprised at the number of other idols studying at FAAP. Mihoshi had a lot of competition aside from Miranda. At least, Sheryl was on her side.

Meanwhile, Megan handed out sheet music transcribed for their voice range and sat down in the front row. One by one, she asked each student to sing. As Ranka examined the music, she noticed that there were no terms at the bottom of the measures to indicate expression. Megan did not give any instructions to the students who finished singing either. She just wrote on her digipad.

When her turn came, she imagined what the notes and lyrics were trying to convey and sang.

_The flower which you threw to me  
In my prison stayed with me.  
Though withered and dry, this flower  
Kept its sweet fragrance.  
From this fragrance  
I became intoxicated  
and during the night, I saw you!  
I became accustomed to cursing you,  
To detest you, to say to myself  
Why did destiny have to put you there, in my path?_

After she sang, she took a step towards her seat, but Megan's question stopped her in her tracks.

"What were you thinking when you sang this?"

Ranka swallowed nervously. She did not expect her to ask, so she said the first thing that came to mind. "Well... I just thought that the singer was sad to be in prison. But flower was a reminder of the giver, and it gave him or her some hope."

"Are you sure? The singer is cursing the giver of the flower in the last set of lyrics."

"Ummm... it's probably just me... but the music sounded like... the singer missed the giver of the flower."

Megan nodded and made more notes before asking for the next student to sing. It was Ai's turn and note for note, she sang it exactly as Ranka had done. After Ai finished, their teacher just sat there with her mouth agape for a few moments. Then she regained her composure.

"Next please."

The super-dimensional Cinderella paled. Since Ai had not mastered sight reading, she just copied Ranka's singing. Most people did not have the skill or talent to realize how well Ai could reproduce any song. However, based on her reaction, Megan was good enough to notice that Ai matched every note and pitch perfectly. Since she asked whether they were related, she probably did not know that Ai was Vajra.

Over the link, the green-haired girl told her charge to vary the tempo and pitch whenever she imitated a song. For the moment, Ranka hoped that the famous singer would not be suspicious of Ai.

Finally, the last student sang. Megan finished her notes and stood up to address them.

"Thank you for singing. By the way, the music is an excerpt from the Flower Aria in the opera, Carmen. For your first homework, look it up and prepare to sing it tomorrow. Our next exercise is a group one. I'll put you into combinations of soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone and bass. Each group will try to harmonize as best as they can a capella."

Ranka was paired with a tenor and bass while Ai was grouped with a contralto and baritone. Meanwhile, the tenor and baritone in Miranda's group fawned over her.

Each group had to sing the same song. After the first few groups, it was obvious that it was difficult to harmonize properly without any prior practice. Despite her nervousness, Ranka chuckled when some groups were way out of tune. Miranda's was especially amusing since her voice drowned out the tenor and baritone. It was as if she did not want them to be heard.

In Ai's case, she did not know the song beforehand, so she just listened for each note from the contralto and sang it. As a result, she sang the contralto part and was always half a beat behind.

When Ranka's turn came, her eyes swept across the expectant audience. As the soprano, the melody rested on her. The tenor and bass would follow her lead. She drew a deep breath and instead of singing, she clapped.

_1 2 3 4, 1 2 3..._

Then she sang. The tenor and bass joined in. It was a nice melody. Compared to the wistful longing of the Flower Aria, it was light and cheerful. Ranka listened to the flowing notes of the tenor and the rhythmic harmony from the bass. She tried her best to match their pace, but after a few measures, she realized that their bass was keeping time with the tempo that she set by clapping. Using him as a beat reference, she relaxed into the song, relishing the vibrant melody of arpeggios with the tenor.

After they sang, they bowed. Then Ai clapped. She clapped by herself for a few moments until Sam Pheaze followed her lead. Soon, several people joined in applause while they made their way to their seats. Megan did not say anything. Instead, she scribbled into her digipad.

As the class went through each exercise, Ranka had the feeling that their teacher was trying to gauge their abilities in different aspects of singing. Her suspicious were confirmed by the end of the two hour class.

"That's it for now. This gives me an idea of what we should cover," said the famous singer. "Please practice and I'll see everyone tomorrow."

Ranka and Ai turned to leave, but the teacher called Ai.

"What is it, Ms. Knackegymma?" asked Ranka.

"Megan's fine. Anyway, you don't have to stay. I just want to talk to Ai."

Ranka tensed up. She did not want to leave Ai alone with her. "Is it alright if I stayed? Ai-chan doesn't like it when I'm not around." "Then please sit down." She gestured to two nearby chairs. After they were seated, she spoke to Ai. "How well can you sightread?"

"Not good," admitted Ai.

"To be honest, that's a big handicap and I don't know how you can get the most out of my workshop."

"Please let her stay!" implored Ranka. "I'll help her so she'll keep up!"

"What about you? She'll hold you back."

She shook her head. "It's fine. We've been taking classes together."

Megan leaned back and regarded them. "You have a lot of talent, so I want to see how far you can go. I'll only be teaching you for two weeks. Are you really sure about this?"

"Yes," replied Ranka confidently.

"I see. By the way, what gave you the idea to clap?"

"Oh... that..." Ranka bowed her head in embarrassment and twiddled her index fingers as she revealed the reason. "It sorta was a habit... whenever I sang with the children, I'd clap at the beginning of the song so that we can all start at the same time."

"Children?"

"Umm... I volunteer at an orphanage."

Their teacher smiled warmly. "That's kind of you."

Ranka exhaled with relief. At least, Megan did not scold her for doing something immature in front of the class. However, she was curious, so she gathered her courage. "Did we... sound ok?"

Megan nodded approvingly. "It was a shaky beginning, but your group harmonized well in the end."

Her verdant locks bounced up. "Thank you for the feedback! I was really nervous!"

"Try not to be. Just sing your all." Then her hazel eyes shifted to Ai. "As for you... in a way, you have talent too. But... it's a very different kind of talent. I've never seen anyone do what you did today!" She let out a small laugh. "Perhaps, this is an opportunity for me to challenge my own teaching skills."

Ranka brightened. "Then she can stay?"

The famous singer nodded. "Yes. But be warned. It's extra work for you and me."

She stood up and bowed in gratitude. "Thank you very much!"

At that moment, the door opened to admit the next set of students. Megan stood up hastily. "Oops, looks like I kept you too long. Sorry about that... I'll see both of you tomorrow."

"Goodbye!" Ranka and Ai waved and hurried to their next class. The quarter-meltran dropped off her charge at the drawing class with Nanase. Then she hurried to her acting class. To her great chagrin, Miranda was there too. At least, Brera was there so she sat with him.

Deja vu visted her again when Miranda arrived in her composition class.

"My! Are you following me?" asked Miranda with a sarcastic tone.

Ranka forced a friendly smile. "I could say the same for you."

"Is anyone sitting here?" asked the contralto who sang with Ai. She pointed to a chair next to Ranka.

"I haven't seen anyone sit in it since I came," replied Ranka, eager to avoid sitting next to Miranda. "Please have a seat." After she said that, Miranda walked away and sat in the last empty chair in the back of the room.

"Thanks," said the contralto as she sat down. "Your cousin is really strange. What was she thinking? Copying me note for note... I mean, she sings pretty well, so she didn't have to do that."

Her heart skipped a beat at her response. She began to wonder how many students could tell what Ai did. "I'm sorry, she can't sightread very well."

At her response, her classmate arched her eyebrows. "Why're you apologizing for her? It's not your fault."

"Well... she's new to Mihoshi, so I watch out for her." She decided to change the topic from Ai. "But you sang pretty well."

The contralto looked incredulous. "Me? You've got to be kidding. Didn't you hear me? I was all over the place! My voice has no depth. Yours on the other hand, has a pleasant timbre, like a bell chime on a winter's day. And then there's..."

Ranka listened in amazement as she compared their performances. Her opinions gave her a different perspective on how to analyze music. However, she felt a little sad whenever her classmate criticized her own singing harshly.

"She shouldn't be so hard on herself..." thought Ranka. Up close, the contralto's hair was actually a dark shade of purple instead of black. Her bangs parted in the middle and spiked up over her forehead. She had slanted brown eyes and a few freckles on her cheeks. A comparison of their skin tones showed that she had paler skin.

Her classmate only stopped talking after the instructor came in. Ranka took the opportunity to ask her. "I'm really sorry, but I don't remember your name."

The girl sighed defeatedly. "Don't worry about it. Nobody usually does." She extended her hand. "Robin Guvriel. I'm in class 2D."

She shook her hand. "Ranka Lee. I'm in 2B."

They turned their attention to the instructor. By the time the class ended, Ranka was even more amazed at Robin. Compared to her, the contralto was more knowledgeable in set theory and harmonic analysis.

Her stomach grumbled. Ranka checked her watch. 6:39 PM. When she looked up, Robin was walking towards the door.

"Hey, Robin! Do you want to have dinner together?"

"I don't think you should. I'm very boring company."

There it was again, that self-deprecating behavior. At that moment, Ranka wanted to stop her negative thinking. With the friendliest smile on her face, she replied, "Not at all! I learned a lot from listening to you." She grabbed her hand and tugged slightly. "C'mon!"

"Is it okay? You're a star and all. I might ruin your image."

"It's fine!" assured Ranka as she began to walk to the door with Robin in tow. "Let's go! I'm hungry!"

They joined Brera, Nanase and Ai at the dining hall. Ranka introduced the contralto. "On-- ahem... Brera, Nanase, Ai, this is Robin. She's in my singing and composition workshops. Robin, this is my best friend, Nanase. And this is Brera. Of course, you've already met my cousin, Ai-chan."

Brera preferred to keep their sibling relationship a secret. He claimed that the anonymity was useful in catching people who talked behind her back. Ranka did not mind, but since he was so insistent on it, she avoided calling him brother when other students were around.

Robin shook their hands in turn. "Pleased to meet you."

Dinner was served buffet style. After claiming their seats, they went to the serving tables.

"By the way, how was Ai?" asked Ranka in a low voice as she walked with Nanase to the entree table.

"Don't worry. Nothing weird happened in class," replied Nanase.

"Thank space!" said Ranka with relief. "How about you?"

"Zakimia's brilliant! I can't believe he's teaching us!"

"I can relate to that feeling. My instructors have been awesome so far! Anyway, did he give you a project?"

"Yup. We have to shoot a 15 minute skit. I figure, I can use what I learn in scriptwriting class and carry it over to his."

"That certainly would help," agreed Ranka.

"How about you? Did you get projects too?"

"I'll have to compose something by the end of the week."

They talked about their classes during dinner. After eating, they gathered in Ranka's room to do their homework.

Ranka logged into the Mihoshi Library Network and found information about the Flower Aria. It was originally written for a tenor and was in French. She took out the sheet music that Megan gave and compared it with the translated original.

_The flower which you threw to me  
In my prison stayed with me.  
Withered and dried, this flower  
Kept always its sweet odor  
And during all of the hours,  
Over my eyes closed my eyelids,  
From this fragrance I became intoxicated  
And during the night, I saw you!  
I became accustomed to cursing you,  
To detest you, to say to myself  
Why is it necessary for destiny  
To put herself there on my path?  
Then I accused myself of blasphemy  
And I didn't feel but in myself  
I didn't feel but one desire  
A sole desire, a sole hope  
To see you again, oh Carmen, to see you again!  
For you had only to appear  
Only to toss a glance towards me  
In order to take a hold of all my being Oh my Carmen  
And I was yours Carmen, I love you!_

Ranka's music was translated and arranged for soprano while Robin's was for contralto. The lyrics were edited to make the singer's gender ambiguous. Furthermore, some stanzas were missing, particularly, Don Jose's declaration of love.

Robin noticed it as well. "No wonder it seemed strange... the lyrics have no references to Carmen, and some stanzas were removed to make it sound like he hated her. That's why everyone... except you, of course... sang it with anger and frustration."

"Without the terms for expression, you'd only have the lyrics to go by. When I read the melody, I took a chance with my own interpretation. I wonder why she did this?"

The contralto shrugged. "Who knows. In any case, we should probably add in the missing measures and terms if she wants us to sing it properly tomorrow." She reached into her bag and offered the green-haired girl some composition sheets.

"Thanks," said Ranka as she took a sheet.

When their homework was done, they bid each other good night and prepared for bed. Just before she lay down to sleep, Ranka carefully removed the poster from its protective hardcase. With some sticky putty, she tacked Sheryl's poster on the wall near the bed. Then she stepped back to admire her. How she loved waking up to the Fairy's face in the morning!

"Why bring? Just see Sheryl," said Ai who was already under the covers.

"That's right! I'll do just that!" Ranka turned off the light and slipped into bed. Then she tried the link.

"Sheryl..."

After a few attempts, Sheryl answered.

"May I come in?" asked Ranka shyly.

"Yes, of course!"

She hugged her Galaxy Fairy. Even in the link, Sheryl felt so warm in her arms. "How's camp?"

That beautiful face grimaced. "Horrible. Dirt's stuck under my fingernails from digging and I had to eat this nasty lizard. Right now, I'm sleeping on a pile of leaves with only this flimsy solar blanket for warmth."

She kissed her. "Oh my poor Galaxy Fairy! You really should've transferred to PA. We're in this beautiful Victorian mansion on a hill. There are fountains in the courtyard and musical instruments and paintings in each room."

With the link at her disposal, the super-dimensional Cinderella formed an image of the mansion in her mind and projected it. It was a trick that she learned from the Vajra queen. When Sheryl's face filled with awe, she knew that it worked. Eager to cheer her beloved up, she grabbed her hand. "C'mon. I'll give you the virtual tour!"

But Sheryl shook her head. "I'd love to, Ranka, but I'm really tired right now and the captain wants us up at dawn."

"Oh..." However, after seeing that haggard face, she wanted to do something to make Sheryl feel better, so she sat down and patted her lap. "In that case, let me sing you a lullaby."

After Sheryl complied, she gathered all the memories from her childhood and replaced the image.

"Where's this?" asked Sheryl, her eyes full of wonder.

"The meadow behind the lab in the 117th fleet. My mother would often sing me to sleep here," replied Ranka as she stroked those golden-coral tresses. How she loved the feel of that silky hair between her fingers!

With a deep breath, she sang for Sheryl until the link began to weaken. Quickly, she bent down and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Good night, my sweet Fairy."

Ai's voice surprised her. "Sheryl ok?"

"Yes," replied Ranka. After a few moments, she added, "Were you eavesdropping?"

"No. You too loud sometimes," replied Ai.

Ranka sighed. The flow link was accessible to any Vajra who cared to listen. At least, she was able to talk to Sheryl. In due time and practice, she hoped that she would have enough control to avoid disturbing other Vajra. However, that could be tackled at a later time. Right now, the day's activities had worn her out. With a yawn, she surrendered to sleep.

* * *

With the sun shining brightly, the next day promised more excitement. After breakfast, Nanase and Ranka accompanied Ai to the painting class. Thankfully, Vanessa, who taught Ai how to paint, was there and they asked her to watch over Ai. Then they went to the scriptwriting class. Ranka prayed that Miranda would not show up. Luck was with her and Miranda did not come.

Nanase preferred working behind the scenes while Ranka took to the stage. As a result, their regular classes did not overlap. So when Nanase signed up for the scriptwriting workshop, Ranka was overjoyed to have a class with her best friend.

Her next class after scriptwriting was modern dance. Ranka quickly changed into a leotard. As she stretched and warmed up near the balance bars along the wall, a girl with braided wintergreen hair danced slowly in the middle of the room. Her long, slender limbs moved with effortless grace. She seemed to step so lightly that the hardwood floor whispered when her feet touched down. However, what intrigued Ranka the most was the serene expression on the girl's face. Her eyes were partly closed and her lips curved to a slight smile, as if she was remembering a pleasant dream.  
During introductions, Ranka learned that the dancer's name was Chloe Lamis. Like her, she was a quarter meltran. When class was over, Ranka walked over while Chloe towelled off the sweat from her brow.

"That was a really nice dance you did in the beginning, Chloe."

Chloe looked startled and the towel fell from her hands. She leaned down and picked it up. "Oh... thank you. That's nice to hear coming from the Cinderella."

Her hair bounced a little at her words. "What kind of style is it?"

"Style? It doesn't really have a style, at least, not yet."

"Oh? You made it up yourself?"

The dancer shook her head and closed her eyes. "No... there's a melody that makes me want to dance."

Her answer piqued her curiosity. "What does it sound like?"

"It's..." She hummed a little and then opened her pale emerald eyes. "I'm sorry... I really can't sing it at all. Besides... it's not even complete."

Just then, Ai's voice echoed in her mind. "Ranka, Nana-chan want food now."

"I'll be right over," replied Ranka in the link.

"Chloe, if you ever finish the dance, I'd love to see it."

"Well... it's not really up to me. But if I do, I'll dance for you!"

"Thanks! See you tomorrow!" waved Ranka as she headed out. After a quick shower, she joined her brother, Nanase and Ai for lunch. Then she and Ai went to their singing class while Nanase went to the photography class and Brera went to the guitar class. Along the way, they met Sharin McIntosh, an FAAP student and a new idol who released a single last month.

"Good afternoon, Ranka," greeted Sharin as she approached the door to the salon where they held the singing class.

"Good afternoon, Sharin."

"Here, let me get the door." Sharin opened it.

As soon as Ranka tried to enter, someone bumped into her on the way out. She stumbled and fell onto her behind. Her folder of sheet music scattered into the hallway.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I should've been more careful! Here, let me help you."

Shivers went up her spine when she recognized that pretentious voice. However, she was surprised that Miranda even apologized and offered to help. "Thanks..." said Ranka politely as she took the actress' offered hand. Meanwhile, Ai, Sharin and another female FAAP student gathered her sheet music.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" asked Miranda.

Ranka patted her behind. "No... I'm fine."

Sharin handed her the folder. "I think we got everything. Oh dear, we better get in. Megan's here."

Ranka turned around to see Megan walking down the hallway. They quickly entered the room and took their seats. For their first exercise, Megan asked them to sing the original Flower Aria with their voice range taken into account. Ranka glanced at Robin who gave a thumbs up sign. Ranka returned it. They were prepared for it and she even coached Ai on singing.

The quarter-meltran shifted through her disorganized sheet music and found the Flower Aria. Megan called on Robin and Ai before calling her. She walked to the front of the room, placed the music on the stand and sang. After singing, she chanced a quick glance at Megan for any sign of approval, but the expression on her face seemed more like disappointment.

Except for that, the rest of the exercises went well and Megan even gave her a compliment on her breathing control. At the end of class, Robin led her out of earshot.

"You sang in the wrong key! Did you copy it right?"

Ranka pulled out the Flower Aria sheet. Robin pointed to a smudge.

"Did you mistake this for a flat?"

She touched it and dust stuck to her finger tip. "I don't think so... it's b minor right?"

"Yes, but... you sang in e minor."

"I did?" Her verdant eyebrows scrunched up as she tried to remember. If she really did, then that was probably why Megan looked disappointed.

"Ai sang in b minor all the way. You didn't. Anyway, I've got to go to conducting class. See you later."

For several moments, Ranka stared at the smudge before putting the sheet in her bag. Her next class was acting. She hurried to the auditorium for a joint class with the theatre workshop. The students for theatre were doing stage management exercises and they needed actors to practice on. In exchange, the students prepared the costumes, props and lighting for the actors.

Already, the props were ready for the Hamlet and Ophelia scene. Ranka went over her lines while Emma, one of the theatre workshop students, adjusted her dress.

Miranda and Sharin passed by. They were already in costume.

Sharin looked her over. "The dress complements her hair nicely. But the heels..."

"If it's tacky, just say it's tacky," said Miranda.

The idol waved her hand. "No... no... it's not that tacky. I just think that something yellowish would be better. Under the spotlights, it'll look like gold."

Miranda put an arm around her shoulders and led her away. "That's enough from you. You shouldn't do someone else's job."

After they left, Emma said, "Let me get you some other heels to try."

Even though she hurried away, Ranka could tell that her cheeks were flushed. A few minutes later, Emma returned with two pairs of heels. Ranka tried them on and only the light yellow pair with orange leather straps fit. To complete her outfit, Emma drapped a yellow silk shawl over her shoulders.

Brera was playing Hamlet. Although he delivered his lines so stoically, Ranka tried to imagine the sting in his words. So when he advanced toward her, she retreated backwards as if his words were too painful to bear.

_I have heard of your paintings too, well enough;  
God has given you one face,  
and you make yourselves another:  
you jig, you amble, and you lisp,  
and nick-name God's creatures,  
and make your wantonness your ignorance.  
Go to, I'll no more on't; it hath made me mad._

When she stepped back with her left foot and put weight on her heel, her ankle buckled and she fell sideways.

"Ah!"

Brera caught her. "Are you alright?"

Instead of replying, she quickly sat down and cupped his cheek.

_O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!  
The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword;  
The expectancy and rose of the fair state,  
The glass of fashion and the mould of form,  
The observed of all observers, quite, quite down!_

Ranka continued until the end of the scene. When she was done, the acting instructor, Mr. Granger, rose from his seat and walked onto the stage.

"What happened?"

Ranka checked her left foot. The slender heel had broken off from the sole.

"Are you ok?" asked Mr. Granger.

Leaning on Brera, she stood up. "Yes, I'm fine, thanks to Brera."

"Looks like you better show that to your costume assistant. Anyway, that was a good adlib, Ranka. And a good catch too, Brera. Now Ranka, your reaction to Hamlet was pretty good, but please watch your step. While I talk to Brera, please go and change."

He turned to her brother. "Brera, you need to put yourself into Hamlet's shoes. Imagine his train of thought when he's saying those lines. For example..."

By the time Ranka limped to the exit of the stage, Emma was waiting by the door. She helped her to a bench and examined the shoe.

"I'm really, really sorry about this, Ranka!" Emma bowed low before her.

"Don't worry. These things happen."

Emma took the heels. "I'll be right back!"

She returned with the original pair that she selected. Ranka put them on and deliberately shifted more weight on the heel. Once satisfied, she thanked Emma and went back to the stage. As she walked up the stairs, she noticed Miranda and Sharin giggling nearby. They were trying out a pair of opera glasses. Brera and Mr. Granger were onstage.

"For a prop, this works pretty well," said Sharin.

"My! He looks like a girl in that frilly shirt!" said Miranda.

"Definitely too skinny for a zentraedi. I wonder if he swings that way..."

Ranka ignored their comments and concentrated on the lesson. After the workshop ended, Ranka received a lot of interesting feedback from Mr. Granger and his critique was unique compared to the Mihoshi instructors. The next class was composition. The theory made her head spin, but with Robin's help, she was slowly understanding the concepts.

Once again, she invited Robin to dinner. Robin made her usual weak excuses but joined them in the end. In the few days that she had known her, the contralto did not mention any friends and often stared out the window in singing class.

"Say, Ranka! Guess what!" exclaimed Nanase brightly.

"What?"

"There's an orchard behind the mansion!"

Her verdant hair bobbed up in curiosity. "Really?"

Nanase nodded. "Before it gets too dark, wanna take a stroll? I'll show you where I took some pictures today!"

"Sure!"

When they were finished, Nanase led them to the back of the mansion. They walked through the flower maze and through a fruit orchard. Ranka reached out and picked a cherry from a branch.

"Hey! You're stealing!" teased Nanase.

"Ah! We can't have any?"

She shook her head. "We're not supposed to." Then she winked. "But I won't tell. Go ahead. Try it. It's really sweet."

Ranka did and she was right. Even though the cherry was sweet, there was a slight sour taste that tickled her tongue. Just then, she realized something. "Wait a second, if you're not supposed to eat any, how do you know?"

Nanase stuck her tongue out. "Oops... busted..." Then she laughed. "C'mon... there's a place you have to see before it gets dark."  
They followed Nanase across the orchard. Then the trees gave way to a sloping hillside. They walked up a short flight of stairs. At the top, they stood in awe at the breathtaking view of the suburbs and the city.

"This is the overlook," explained Nanase.

"Wow..." whispered Ranka as her eyes swept across the scenery.

Robin walked up to the safety rail and looked down. There was a narrow road about fifty feet below. "Yow... it's a long way down from here." She saw a sign that said: Do not lean on rail. She immediately backed off. "I gotta say, this is a pretty awesome place. Mr. Roverock must have connections to get this."

"He has a lot of friends in entertainment," replied Brera.

The contralto raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

"It's there if you know where to look."

"And you know where?"

Brera drew a rare smile on his face. "I have my own connections."

Ranka cleared her throat. Given a chance, her brother could hack into any computer system. Before Robin could ask any more questions, she decided to change the topic.

"Is this where you took pictures, Nana-chan?"

"Everywhere! We had two hours to play with and I filled all my memory cards!"

Before the sun went down, Nanase quickly showed them where she shot her pictures. Then they went to the overlook again to see the sunset. With the waning light of day, they hurried back to the mansion.

As they exited the flower maze, they ran into Miranda and Sharin. Miranda had a bunch of flowers in her hands.

"Hey, we're not supposed to pick that!" said Nanase.

"I'm sure he won't mind if it's me. The owner of this mansion provided the flower arrangements in my parade. YOU better not pick any," replied Miranda coolly.

Nanase fumed silently and grabbed Ranka's hand. "Excuse us, we have homework to do."

When they were a good distance away, Nanase muttered, "I don't know how you managed to put up with her during the movie."

"It wasn't easy," admitted Ranka glumly. "And everyone didn't like her either."

They worked on their homework as usual and finished before 11 PM. Then everyone got ready for bed. As she lay in bed, Ranka checked on Sheryl. To her horror, her beloved had a really bad day. The Galaxy Fairy got injured while trying to rescue another team.

"Oh no!" cried Ranka as she stared at the injured shoulder. "Does it hurt a lot?"

Despite her evident pain, that beautiful face forced a smile. "It's just sore. The captain said not to put weight on it."

Ranka hugged her carefully. "Are you going to be ok?"

"I'll be fine. The captain's a good shot and there's tough fighters on our team."

"I wish there was something I could do."

Sheryl kissed her. When she drew back, her eyes gazed at her adoringly. "There is... and only you could do it."

Her verdant locks bounced up when she realized what Sheryl meant. She patted her lap and her Fairy obediently laid her head on it. Then she sang until her beloved drifted off to sleep. After the link broke, Ranka slept as well.

Soon she found herself flying naked in link space. There was a flash by her side, and Sheryl appeared in a nimbus of silver light. That daring smile flashed across the Fairy's face and Ranka reached out to hold her hand. A globe of pink light grew around them and flared into an incandescent stream. Together, they flew faster and faster, into the realm of dreams.

* * *

The next day proceeded like usual. However, when Ranka went to the drawing class with Ai, Nanase was very upset.

"That Miranda! She must've ratted on us!"

"What happened?"

"The owner claimed that several of his trees were disturbed. Then Ms. Lohraw got the idea that I might've done it with you guys yesterday, so she scolded me."

Ranka turned to Ai. "Did you eat any?"

"No."

"Onii-chan wouldn't either."

Nanase sighed. "I'm not blaming any of you. I'm just... a little upset..." The charcoal pencil in her hand snapped in two when she squeezed her fist tightly. "Ah! Damn..." She bent down to pick up the pieces.

"I'm sorry that you got in trouble. Can we talk later, I've got to get to class."

"Yeah... sorry for ranting..."

Ranka hurried to acting class where she found Emma mending a rip in her costume. She did not remember seeing the rip yesterday.

"Please wait a bit," said Emma apologetically.

"Take your time. I'll just ask Mr. Granger to work with the other students."

Emma bowed gratefully. "Thank you. I'm sorry for troubling you."

"Don't worry about it. I should be the one thanking you for your support. Anyway, I'll be right back after I talk to Mr. Granger."

Meanwhile, the prop manager was running around and checking off props. He asked Emma, "You have the opera glasses?"

"No."

He checked off Emma's props and asked another student. The rest of the class proceeded without any other costume mishaps. Both she and Brera received positive feedback on their performance with Mr. Granger. Her good mood was evident in composition class and she joined the theoretical discussions with more confidence.

At the end of class, a Mihoshi student handed her a note. It read:

_Ranka,  
Please meet me at the overlook before dinner. I have a favor to ask.  
-Nanase_

Ranka hurried to the orchard. She was near the stairs to the overlook when she heard rustling sounds behind her.

"Nana--- EEEEE!!!" Ranka backed away.

"Don't scream, or I'll kill you..." threatened a stocky man with a shaved head and matching gray shirt and pants. In his hands, he gripped a hoe.

In her panic, Ranka screamed anyway and ran.

* * *

Continued in Mvmt. II. Affannoso (With Anxiety)

* * *

Notable References:

**Serenade**: A composition performed for a lover, friend, or other person to be honored. See more details in Wikipedia.

**Da Capo:** A musical term in Italian, meaning _from the beginning_ (literally _from the head_). See more details in Wikipedia.

The first paragraph describes the opening for episodes 18 and later.


	2. Mvmt II: Affannoso

**Mvmt II. Affannoso (With Anxiety)**

"YAAARRRGGGHHH!!!" The man swung down with the hoe.

Ranka dodged it. The hoe dug itself into the ground. She tried to get past him and run into the orchard, but he managed to pull the hoe out and swung sideways. She backed off and had no choice but to run up the stairs. Desperately, she looked around for a possible escape route but did not notice any.

The man followed her up. He sneered at her menacingly. "I've got you now..."

She trembled at his approach. He lifted the hoe to strike. Although it was a futile effort, her arms attempted to block the attack.

But the attack did not come.

"You not hurt Ranka," said Ai who stood behind the man with her right hand on the shaft of the hoe.

The man turned and tried to pull the hoe away from Ai, but the Vajra held it fast. Ranka took the opportunity to run behind Ai.

"Leggo, bitch!" yelled the man and he punched Ai in the face.

Ai recoiled with the punch but did not let go of the hoe. "You enemy. In name of justice, I punish you." She pointed her left index finger at him. "Shiny finger!"

The Vajra's eyes glowed purple and a bright yellow beam erupted from the tip of her fingertip. The beam punched a hole about the size of a grape in the man's right chest. Blood spurted out and rained down, tainting the grass red. His hand slipped off the hoe and he crumpled to the ground.

A trail of dust formed between the trees in the orchard. In a blur of motion, Brera ran past them and placed himself between them and the man.

"You ok, Ranka?" asked Brera with no hint of fatigue in his voice. Below the stairs, the cloud of dust that resulted from his bionic sprint began to settle.

"Y-yes..." replied Ranka in a quivering voice. Then she fainted. Ai caught her as she slumped down.

"Ai-chan, can you watch her until help comes?"

"Ok."

Brera checked the man. He was still alive, but bleeding profusely. He called the police and explained the situation. Then he called the director to send help for Ranka.

* * *

When Ranka woke, Nanase, Brera and Ai were sitting around her bed. She sat up.

"Are you alright?"

"Ranka ok?"

"How do you feel?"

She was bewildered by their concern. "I... I'm fine... why are you all here?"

"Don't you remember?" said Brera. "An escaped convict attacked you."

For a few moments, Ranka just sat in silence. Then her eyes grew wide and her hand leapt to her mouth. "Ah! I remember now!" The scene replayed in her memory like a bad horror movie. "Is the man ok?"

Brera was surprised at her question. How could she show concern over someone who tried to hurt her? But this was Ranka. His sister was not the type who would wish harm on others. "Yeah, the paramedics patched him up. The police searched the mansion grounds and caught another one a couple of miles away," he replied.

"Thank space..." Then she turned to Ai. "Ai, thanks for saving me, but don't shoot humans like that!"

"What did she do?" asked Brera.

Ranka explained what happened when Ai stopped the man. To her surprise, her brother scolded her.

"You've been relying on the TV too much! You're her guardian! You should be teaching her about what's good and bad about human culture. Instead, she's been getting strange ideas from TV shows."

"Sorry, onii-chan..."

He turned to Ai. "Ai-chan, don't copy Damgun or Cute Soldier Lune anymore, ok?"

Ai looked confused, but agreed. "Ok."

"We saved you some dinner," Nanase lifted the silver cover off the tray on the desk. "You must be hungry."

Ranka glanced at the clock. 8:12 PM. Now that Nanase mentioned it, she was. "Thanks for watching out for me."

"No problem. Anyway, Robin said that she could come over to do homework after you eat dinner. So give her a call when you're done."

"I will. Thanks again." With that, Ranka went to the desk to eat. While she ate, she remembered the note. "Nana-chan, weren't you supposed to meet me at the overlook?"

"No. What gave you that idea?"

"Someone handed me a note in composition."

"Where's the note?"

Ranka got the note and gave it to Nanase.

"I didn't write this," concluded Nanase. "Also, I went to the dining hall right after class."

Brera came over and took the note. His pupils dilated and refocused as they analyzed the surface of the paper. "Can I borrow this? I'd like to send it to the lab and have them run some tests on it. Maybe I can figure out who wrote it."

"Sure," replied Ranka. Then her forehead creased in confusion. "But why would anyone impersonate Nanase?"

"Someone who knows that the man was there and wanted to get you into trouble," concluded Brera. "And then there was the broken shoe and the ripped dress."

"What broken shoe and dress?" asked Nanase.

Ranka told her what happened in acting class. Nanase's usual gentle face melted into anger.

"I betcha Miranda's behind it! Nobody at Mihoshi will mess with you."

Brera smirked. With a little 'encouragement', the Ranka Fan Club intercepted all the stalking and bullying directed towards Ranka. They had done an excellent job so far. He put the note in his pocket. Then he searched his memory and archived the images of Miranda and Sharin. He would check their background later. One way or another, he would find out who wrote the note.

"Ai-chan didn't fill her schedule, right? Can you ask the instructor if she could be with you during her free time? If she's watching, there's a lesser chance they'll try something," suggested the cyborg.

"Yes, but... I left those times open for her to study."

"She's been keeping up with drawing and painting so far," said Nanase. "I think your safety is more important. Right, Ai-chan?"

"I stay with Ranka," said Ai.

Their concern warmed her heart. "Thanks."

Before going to bed, Ranka did a few yoga exercises to calm her mind before seeing Sheryl. She did not want her to worry. When she was ready, she put a smile on her face and reached out in the link. Sheryl's smiling face appeared and put her at ease. Their hug lasted longer than usual and the Fairy's kiss melted her insides like wax on a lit candle.

"How's your shoulder?" asked Ranka.

"Getting better. But I'm not the one who's really hurt. The vice-captain has an injured ankle. Even with this, I can walk and run, so I won't slow the team down. But it looks like her ankle is more injured than she thought, so the captain slowed our pace."

"Do I know her?"

Sheryl shook her head. "I don't think so." Then her eyes lit up with an idea. "Let me try this..."

An image of a tall red-haired meltran with a braided ponytail formed before them. She had pale gray eyes and a generous chest typical of a meltran her age. Ranka felt very inadequate in seeing her.

"This is Tadyana Agreu. She's a third-year and the vice-captain of my squad."

One by one, Sheryl introduced each member of the squad. Ranka looked at their faces. The meltrandi and the captain looked very menacing.

"Are they nice to you?" asked Ranka with concern. To her relief, Sheryl nodded.

"They're nice enough." Sheryl turned to the images. "Hmmm... Oh, I see..." With a wave of her hand, she adjusted their somber faces so that they were all smiling. "Better?"

Ranka giggled. Her teammates did not look menacing anymore. "Yes."

The Fairy walked to each one as she described them. "The captain's a really fair person. Kanagi is shy but sweet. Tadyana... well..." Tadyana's braided ponytail disappeared from the nape of her neck and reappeared on both sides of her red head like horns. The Cinderella laughed at the sight.

"She's been bitchy since I started Mihoshi, but she's bitchy towards Eriko too. She's got a mouth on her, but she doesn't hit me or anything. Aris is ok. I don't know her that well yet. And you know what?" The cadet grinned as if she discovered something.

Ranka leaned forward in curiosity. "What?"

"I think Tadyana and Aris are an item."

Her hand leapt to her mouth and she stared at the images of Tadyana and Aris. Her impression of them changed. "Really?"

Her Fairy nodded. "They're always hiking together. And Aris fed her a berry once with her fingers. Then there was a time when..."

Ranka was glad to hear about another lesbian couple in school. She listened to the gossip and enjoyed this relaxing moment with Sheryl. They chatted for a while until their tired bodies prodded them to sleep. With a good night kiss, Ranka entered the realm of dreams. Once again, she sat in front of a mirror...

* * *

It was hard to miss the teams of police scouring the mansion grounds, so the news spread like wildfire overnight. When they arrived in the dining room for breakfast, everyone asked questions about what happened. Brera fielded their questions by saying that he fought the man and excluded Ai's role in the entire affair.

Given the various interruptions, they finished breakfast as quickly as possible and headed for their respective classes. Still, questions kept coming throughout the day.

Ai was permitted to stay in the dance and composition class as an observer. The tactic seemed to work and nothing unusual happened.

That evening, Ranka and Robin worked on their homework on variations on a theme. The assignment was to compose a short variation based on Bach or Paganini.

"Variations are pretty popular," explained Robin. "Take Pachelbel's Canon in D. There are so many songs that use its base melody or variations of it." She looked at Ranka directly. "As another example, you sang two variations of the same song."

It took several seconds for Ranka to understand what she meant. "Oh! You mean 'Aimo, aimo'!"

"Yes. Personally, I liked the movie version better. The arrangement was more symphonic and..." She closed her eyes. "The notes were warm and gentle, like a hug..." Then she blushed and cleared her throat. "The rock version wasn't bad either. The fast and energetic beat of the instrumentals spurred you into action and the background harmony meshed well. It was a direct opposite of the movie version. Why did you recall the single? It seemed pretty popular."

Ranka gripped her pen as she explained her reason and her pain. "I... I just couldn't stand it... That song was used to kill Vajra. The idea of me singing it like that... It's a love song! I don't want anyone to listen to it!"

"I see..." said Robin softly in understanding. "A song for love shouldn't be used for war. I'm sorry I brought it up. I thought it would make it easier to talk about variations with an example that you know. Let's just analyze Pachelbel's Canon instead."

"It's ok." However, her thoughts were still on Robin's description about the movie version. Sheryl did that arrangement specifically for her to sing.

"For me to sing..." thought Ranka. In a sense, Sheryl was the composer. She thought about the lyrics that the Galaxy Fairy added.

_The great, great affection that sleeps in my chest, [1]  
It is slowly waking up from the warmth of your hand._

_aimo aimo neder rushe  
Long ago, everyone in the world was one.  
Come on and step into this warm universe._

Ranka only remembered that 'Aimo, aimo' was a love song at the end of the battle. From the movie lyrics, it seemed that Sheryl was able to figure out that it was a love song. In class, the instructor often told them to analyze what the composer wanted to convey.

"Frontier to Ranka... Frontier to Ranka..." Robin waved a hand in front of her.

"Oh... sorry... I was still thinking about 'Aimo'."

"I should be the one apologizing for bringing it up. It didn't know that it would upset you."

Verdant locks swung from side to side as she shook her head. "Don't be. In fact, I'd like to talk about it more. There are actually three variations of the song."

Robin's eyebrows rose. "Three?"

"Yes. Ai-chan?"

Ai rose from the floor where she was drawing. "Want me?"

"Ai-chan, can you sing 'Aimo, aimo'?"

"Ok." Ai sang it like the mother queen did.

_Aimo aimo [2]  
Ne-deru ru-she_

_Noina miria  
Enderu purodea  
Fotomi_

_Kreto verabra duzhka  
Ventraba duzhka_

_Ru-rei rureia  
Sepereru tu hivari noina dano  
Ru-rei rureia  
Heperu mori juzhtu raankazha linaa_

_Aimo aimo  
Ne-deru ru-she  
Noina miria  
Enderu purodea  
Fotomi  
Moye verabra duzhka  
Venutraba duzhka_

"Any instrumentals?" asked Robin.

Ranka shook her head. "None. It's just a capella."

"I see. The tempo is slower. The measures for 'We are in a warm ocean.', 'The dancing larks in the sky are waves.' and 'You are a young and gentle child.' have different lyrics. The last chorus is missing. Is this the original?" asked Robin.

"Yes," replied Ranka. "Thanks for the help, Ai-chan."

"Ok." Ai returned to her drawing.

"Anyway, I'd like to talk about the variations between the original and the movie version." Ranka felt that if she and Robin talked about it, she might get more insight into what Sheryl was thinking when she composed the additional measures.

"Alright then..." Robin searched for the movie version and displayed it on her digipad. "Sheryl Nome wrote this? Not bad..." Then she played the music on the digipad's speakers.

When it finished, the contralto put down the digipad and leaned her forehead on her palm. It was a habit that indicated that she was thinking deeply. "It's quite a variation alright. She put her own spin on the instrumentals. It blended together well, her music and your vocals." She looked at Ranka directly. "What do you think?"

"Why are you asking me?" asked Ranka apprehensively, scared that Robin suspected their relationship.

Robin gestured towards the poster on the wall. "You seem to be a big fan of hers. You'd know her more than I do. Besides, the original's lyrics are in some language I don't know. Does she know what it says?"

"No," replied Ranka. Through research, her mother understood enough Vajra to translate some of the lyrics in the song. She did not dare ask Ai because she did not want to explain why Ai could understand. Alarm filled her heart with the possibility that Robin might ask Ai. She immediately opened her mind and told her charge to deny that she understood the lyrics. Her premonition was rewarded when Robin did ask.

"What about Ai?"

Ai looked up and shook her head. Then she returned to drawing.

The contralto sighed. "Since the lyrics don't give any clue that it's a love song, I can only assume that she thought it was, or, someone told her that it was. Did the director tell her that?"

"No, I don't think so. The director just said that he wanted my song in the movie and she used it as a theme."

"I see... So the question is, whom did she write it for? No, that's not the right question. It's obvious that she wrote it for you to sing. What I meant is, who is her intended recipient?"

Now it was Ranka's turn to think. "Was it for Mao?" she thought. Then her hand covered her mouth. What if the words were meant for her?

"Why that sneaky little..." thought Ranka. Then her eyes widened when she realized another possibility. What if Sheryl did not know it was a love song? What if she decided to use it to convey her own message? "She was trying to tell me back then... Ah! Why was I so dense!?"

"Looks like you got an idea," said Robin who noticed a change in her facial expression.

Ranka could not possibly let her know what she really thought. Frantically, she tried to make up an answer. "Well... I was playing Mao... so she probably wrote it from Mao's perspective. Maybe... it was Mao's way of singing her love to Shin."

"Hmmm... good point. Now let's look at the composition itself." Robin's stylus danced over her digipad. "Here's the main thematic melody. The strings come in later, so the singer is sort of given a solo. The listener is drawn towards your voice. When the strings join in, notice how the notes form harmonic progressions with your vocals.

Although tried her best to listen, Ranka was still reveling in her discovery. "She wrote it for me," thought the quarter-meltran as she stared at Sheryl's lyrics. "Not for Mao. For me..."

_The great, great affection that sleeps in my chest,  
It is slowly waking up from the warmth of your hand._

"Even back then... you had feelings for me... When did it start, I wonder?" she mused.

_Come on and step into this warm universe._

Undoubtedly, that stanza was an invitation. "I thought that you wanted me to step into the world of show business... to fulfill my dreams and be a star. But now, I realize what you really wanted. You wanted to share your world with me."

Despite her distraction, Robin patiently explained the structure of the composition. Ranka was grateful for her diligence.

"This measure with the birds and maracas separates the main theme and the secondary. But it also gives a feeling that nature is involved," explained Robin. "The secondary theme is just a variation of the main motif."

They discussed the finer details. After that, Ranka felt more confident in tackling the homework. "Thank you. I think I understand now. I'll do a Bach variation. What about you?"

"Paganini. I can stay until 11 tonight if you want me to look over it."

Ranka grinned widely. "Thanks! Please do!"

After Robin left, she asked Ai about the song.

"Sister-mother teach Ranshe song. Ranshe taught sister-mother about humans. Then sister-mother teach egg-sister. Then egg-sister come and teach Ranka and Sheryl.

Her hand flew to her mouth as she remembered lying on her mother's lap while she sang it. "So that's how Mom knew..." Still, parts of Ai's explanation confused her. When she mentioned the word 'sister', Ranka knew that she was talking about another queen. All Vajra queens other than the great mother queen were called sisters.

"The egg-sister... that's the queen that came here, right?"

"Yes."

"Why is she called egg-sister?"

"Sister-mother and egg-sister hatch from same egg."

"I see... twins... And why is she called sister-mother?"

"Sister-mother laid my egg."

"Oh. That makes sense. Have I met your mother before?"

"Yes. Ranka found sister-mother. Sister-mother bring Ranka home."

The green-haired girl paled. "It can't be... your mother is the queen from Galia IV?"

Ai replied sadly, "Yes."

Her heart ached at the memory. "I'm so sorry, Ai-chan! I tried to stop Alto!"

"Is ok. So Ranka not sad."

Ranka felt relieved to hear those words. "Ai-chan, if the queen was on Galia IV, how'd you get to Frontier?"

"Many eggs steal from sister-mother. I hatch on Frontier. Then helpers find Frontier. Sister-mother send fighters to get eggs."

It was probably Grace who stole the eggs and caused the Vajra to attack Frontier. It also explained the groups of stage 2 Vajra that suddenly appeared during her first concert. "Say, Ai-chan, why didn't the queen teach you how to speak like us?"

"Egg-sister want you teach me. Learn like human."

Red-orange eyes filled with concern. "Am I teaching you enough, Ai-chan?"

"Yes." The Vajra hugged her. "Ranka the best. Take good care of me when little."

The quarter-meltran hugged her charge in return.

-----

Later on, Ranka was so pleased with her discovery that she tackled the Galaxy Fairy in the link. Sheryl fell backwards onto the soft grass of the meadow. Then Ranka trapped her face between her hands and kissed her playfully.

"You seem happy..." said Sheryl as she ruffled her hair. Her voice and demeanor seemed tired but there was an upbeat note in her tone.

"I figured it out... what you did in 'Aimo, aimo'," declared Ranka proudly.

The Galaxy Fairy chuckled. "Just now?"

The quarter-meltran pouted. "But you made it so difficult! Sneaking it into the song like that!"

"Well... I wasn't sure about your feelings," said Sheryl. "I hoped that you'd realize it back then. But since you didn't, I was content to have it there for anyone who watched the movie. They'll hear it." She leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "My song for you." Then she nibbled lightly on her earlobe, causing Ranka to shiver at the sensation of those warm lips. "Still, I'm happy that you finally figured it out."

"Ah.... ahh!" moaned Ranka as her beloved showered her with affection. Despite her obvious fatigue, Sheryl was in a good mood. When the Galaxy Fairy finally stopped, Ranka asked, "Did something good happen?"

A dazzling smile bloomed on her face and she held up her fingers in victory. "We passed!"

Her eyes went round. "You finished the survival test already?"

"Yes!" Sheryl told her that a giant plant attacked them and that they managed to ride it across the heavily forested terrain. "We had a bit of trouble with some catbats, but we made it safe and sound," concluded the cadet proudly.

Ranka hugged her tightly. "I'm so happy for you!" When she drew back, her eyes glinted with mischief. "This calls for a celebration." She captured the Fairy's lips.

She willed Sheryl's clothes to disappear and pressed that lithe body against hers. A contented sigh escaped from her lips as skin caressed skin. Her Fairy's skin was so smooth and warm. Hands wandered over that curvaceous frame, feeling and stroking sensitive spots. Meanwhile, an impatient tongue slipped from its berth and sought its mate across ruddy lips.

Her hand crept to her beloved's chest. With nimble fingers, she touched her. Sheryl moaned into her mouth and arched against her. Encouraged by her reaction, Ranka's lips journeyed down her throat, past her collarbone and arrived at its destination. With the tip of her tongue, she licked. The Galaxy Fairy's whimpers filled her ears with joy and fanned the growing desire between her thighs. She opened her mouth and sucked.

Sheryl threw her head back and slender fingers pressed against the back of Ranka's head. "Aaaah... haaah... aaahhh!!!"

However, in less than a minute, the Galaxy Fairy's hands pushed the super-dimensional Cinderella away unexpectedly. Her pale blue eyes filled with sadness. "I'm sorry, Ranka... I don't think I can handle it. You see... I'm sleeping in this cramped room in a trailer with the squad. I've already woken up Aris."

"Oh..." Verdant locks drooped down with disappointment.

Sheryl interlaced fingers with her and kissed her deeply. "I really appreciate it. I feel much better already." She kissed her forehead. "You need to sleep too, right? You have class tomorrow."

Ranka sighed. She still did not want to let her go. "Can we just hold each other until we fall asleep?"

The Fairy's eyes lit up. "Sure! I can handle that!"

Ranka snuggled into her comforting embrace. "Say, Sheryl..."

"Hmm?"

"When did you start to have feelings for me?"

A slow warmth spread across the Galaxy Fairy's skin. She cleared her throat. "The day we met."

Ranka looked up in surprise. "Really? That soon?"

Sheryl nodded. "As you ran by, I heard you sing. I just had to stop you. And when you sang Diamond Crevasse, I felt that I couldn't pretend anymore. You made me want to sing with you."

The Cinderella gasped and covered her mouth with her hand as she remembered that moment. Her eyes brimmed with tears. "I felt so happy for that little private concert."

With those shiny tears glistening on her eyelashes and the cute expression on her face, the Galaxy Fairy hesitated before brushing away those tears with her fingertips. Then she kissed her forehead. "You little crybaby..." she whispered.

"It's your fault... I can't help it when you make me so happy." She laid her head on Sheryl's chest. "I think I love you more now."

"You mean you actually loved me less?" said Sheryl with an exaggerated melodramatic tone in her voice.

"Silly..." Ranka kissed her on the nose playfully. "It's just that... after discovering this part of you, I feel that I understand you more. And I love you more for it."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Sheryl's cheeks flushed and her eyes misted with tears that she blinked back. Leaning forward, she kissed her Cinderella. "I love you..." she whispered onto her lips.

The sight of her Fairy's reaction filled Ranka's heart with joy. She returned her kiss passionately. A few moments later, Sheryl's arms tighten around her. After several fiery kisses, her Fairy broke it off once more.

"If this keeps up... we're never going to get any sleep..." Then Sheryl captured Ranka's lips for another kiss.

"Just a few more..." begged Ranka. After those kisses, she settled into Sheryl's embrace once more. Together, they floated in the link in each other's arms until their minds wandered off into dreams.

-----

That Friday, everyone showcased his or her efforts. The hallways were filled with drawings, paintings and photos. Hidden speakers played student compositions in the hallways as well. Monitors in the dining hall looped through the short films. During breakfast, Nanase pointed out her piece, entitled Bees with Honey. It was done in 3D animation. Ranka laughed as a poor confused bee tried to dodge past many obstacles in order to bring honey to its mate. With its orange-brown fuzz and brown eyes, the bee reminded her of panicking Luca.

During the break between the classes, Nanase showed Ranka and Brera her work and Ai's. Most of Ai's subjects were very simple such as a fruit on a table or a wild flower in tall grass. Her more complex pieces featured two landscapes. The first was a desert with red sand. The second had two suns and large crystalline rock formations.

Ranka did not remember seeing a desert with red sand on the planet and their solar system only had one sun. "Ai-chan, where's this?"

"Home of sister with red rocks," replied Ai.

She opened the link to her charge. "Ai-chan, don't tell anyone about your sisters. Have you told anyone already?"

"Say to teacher."

Alarm filled her heart. "What did she say?"

"Teacher say, nice place."

"Did she say anything else?"

"No."

The quarter-meltran sighed with relief. The teacher probably thought that Ai referred to some other human colonized planet. She pointed to the other picture. "Does another sister live here too?"

"Yes. Sister with hot suns."

Ranka stared at the crystal formations. Something about them seemed familiar. The arrangement and the cracks did not seem natural.

"Oh dear..." exclaimed Nanase when she glanced at her watch. "Break's almost over. Anyway, see you in the auditorium!"

"Bye!" waved Ranka as Nanase hurried off to class. Then she and Ai hurried off to dance class. Once there, she practiced with her class for their performance.

-----

The afternoon and evening after dinner were reserved for performances. After lunch, everyone gathered in the auditorium. Groups or individuals were allowed five to ten minutes each. Ranka's dance class performance was well received. When Chloe bowed, the audience cheered and clapped more. Ranka joined in as well. Chloe deserved it.

Her acting class did a short scene from Hamlet. The audience response was not as good compared to the dance class. Needless to say, Brera was literally, very robotic. The singing class drew a respectable response.

Brera's drum group did very well, but his rock band was average. Despite that, Ranka was fascinated with his efforts to play the harmonica and guitar at the same time.

In order to wait for the availability of musicians, the conducting class was last. One by one, each student conducted a short piece with a full orchestra. Ranka had never seen Robin conduct, so when the contralto approached the podium, she leaned forward in anticipation.

Robin opened the score and lifted the baton as if she was about to start. The orchestra waited for her signal. The baton moved down. Then Robin clamped a hand to her mouth and ran off the stage. An instructor shook his head and called for the next student.

Meanwhile, Ranka was already making her way to the back of the stage. When she got to the hallway, she did not see Robin. As she wondered where the contralto could have gone, she remembered how she clamped her hand to her mouth. On a hunch, Ranka went to the nearest ladies room.

To her surprise, she found Chloe with Robin. The dancer stroked the contralto's back as she heaved dinner into the sink. Ranka walked over.

"Is she alright?"

Chloe glanced at her briefly. "She'll be fine in a moment."

Then Ranka remembered what Ozma told her about vomiting. "I'll be right back." She hurried to the water cooler in the auditorium and filled two cups with water. She brought it to the ladies room.

When Robin was done, Chloe guided her to a nearby bench. Ranka offered a cup which the contralto took with shaking hands.

Robin gulped it down and let out a rueful laugh. "Messed up, didn't I?"

"There's still time. If you go right now..." said Ranka but Robin waved it off.

"I... I can't... not after that..."

Chloe put a hand on Robin's shoulder. "It's alright. Don't worry, Ranka. I'll stay with her. Please go back and watch."

Ranka shook her head. "I can't, not when one of my friends is in trouble."

Robin stared at her for a few moments. Then a shy but grateful smile formed on her face. "Thanks..."

After the final performance, Ranka got Robin's score from the podium. Then the three of them went to Robin's room which she shared with three other students, two of which were from FAAP.

"Oh, look... Ms. Stage fright is back," said an FAAP student.

Then Ranka came into view.

"Eeeeee! It's Ranka Lee!"

"I love your music! May I have your autograph?"

Elmo had drilled her on how to handle requests in public to prevent her from getting mobbed. "I'm sorry, but my company only allows me to sign autographs during official events," said Ranka in an apologetic tone. The two students were obviously disappointed. Meanwhile, Robin sat on her bed with the score in her lap. Chloe stood in the hallway. Ranka planned to just walk Robin to her room and wish her good night. On a whim, she decided on something else.

She walked over to Robin and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. There'll be a next time. As long as you work hard, you'll get another chance. If you don't have plans during this weekend, I'll be happy to practice with you."

"You will? But... I need an orchestra... and after what happened, who'll want to play for me?"

"I'll ask my friends. We'll get some people together."

Robin clenched her hands around her baton. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. That's what friends are for. Anyway, get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, Ranka left the room and walked down the hall with Chloe. When they reached the stairs, Chloe spoke.

"You didn't have to do that. They might bully her more," said Chloe.

Alarm rose in her heart. "They would?"

Then Chloe shook her head. "What am I saying? I should think positive! I should hope that they don't." She sighed. "Robin's not the type to fight back and her low self-esteem doesn't help either."

"Yeah, I know the feeling..."

"But still, I'm happy that you offered to help her. Can I help too?"

"Sure! Do you have friends that play?"

Chloe nodded. "I have several. I'll ask them as soon as possible."

"Thanks. I think Robin's got talent."

"I think so too... I just wish she'd grow a spine."

Ranka was shocked at her words and stopped walking. Chloe turned to her.

"It's true, don't you think so?" She sighed again and wrung her fingers. "She's been that way since middle school. The teachers have talked to her so many times, but this is the first time anyone's offered to help her. I just hope that we can make a difference."

When Ranka realized that Chloe did not say it out of spite, she agreed, "Yeah, me too." She began walking again and Chloe fell in step with her. "Oh yeah, you did great, by the way. My friends liked your dancing."

"Thank you," said Chloe graciously. They walked up the stairs and stopped in front of a room. "Here's my room. Thank you for being there, Ranka. Good night."

"Good night."

Ranka went back to her room to relax. At the table, Ai and Nanase were sketching a bowl of fruit. After reading her email, she took a shower. By the time she was done, Nanase had left. She curled up in bed with a book. She was planning to talk to Sheryl around 11 PM, but Sheryl beat her to it.

"Sheryl!" She hugged her Galaxy Fairy gently. "How's your shoulder?"

"The x-ray showed no fractures, thank god. There's some minor tissue damage though. I'm wearing a shoulder brace and sling to prevent it from moving too much."

"That's good! Here's a little trick to make it heal faster." Ranka kissed Sheryl's shoulder and then captured her lips. Perhaps, they could continue where they left off yesterday. As she ravished her with affection, she wondered if it was possible to visit her.

"Are they still testing you tomorrow?" Then she gasped as supple lips tickled the crook of her neck.

"No... the tests... start on Monday."

"Then... what are you... doing tomorrow?"

"I don't know... it's our free time."

"You have free time...?" Ranka's heart raced at the thought of seeing her.

"Can I see you tonight?"

"Can I see you tonight?"

They laughed at their thoughts. When they calmed down, they made arrangements to meet at the carrier. Ranka packed up the extra linen in the closet and her pillow.

"Breed now?" asked Ai.

She blushed. "Well... I'm not sure... but we want to see each other."

"I visit Hope. Is ok?"

"Sure!"

Ranka summoned a Vajra to the back of the mansion and mounted it. She arrived at the carrier and waited. About thirty minutes later, she began pacing impatiently. Finally, Sheryl contacted her through the link. Disappointment flooded her heart when she explained her absence.

"I'm sorry... they caught me."

Ranka tried her best not to sound too sad. When the link fell silent, she just stood still for several seconds. Then with her welled up frustration, she kicked the bag of linen and watched it sail across the crater floor.

"Why are pilots so hard to date?!"

-----

Next morning, they gathered in a music salon named 'Enchanted Inspiration'. Brera convinced five members of the Ranka Fan club to help and Chloe invited three of her friends. With Brera on percussion, and Ranka on the piano, they had ten people.

After introductions, Brera searched through the music database and selected a piece suitable for the instruments available. He uploaded it into each person's digipad.

Robin conducted stiffly at first, but by mid-afternoon, she became more relaxed and her instructions were less hesitant. Ranka smiled at her progress and hoped that Robin would become more comfortable speaking to a group.

During dinner time, Miranda, Sharin and another FAAP student walked by their table. Miranda carried a bouquet of flowers while Sharin carried several boxes of chocolates and sweets. Every other day, their boyfriends visited them and gave them gifts. The FAAP duo never failed to walk into the dining room with the tokens of affection.

"If it were me, I'd stay away," said Miranda casually.

"Me too! I don't want losers to rub off on me," added Sharin.

Upon hearing their talk, Robin's shoulders slumped down. She began to stand up. "I'm sorry... I've been imposing..."

Nanase interrupted her and pulled her down. "Sit girl. You haven't finished your dinner."

"Don't let it get to you," said Ranka.

Robin's eyes misted over and she uttered her gratitude with a choking voice. "Thanks..."

Just after 9 PM, Ranka decided to practice since piano workshop would start next week. She and Ai went to the music salon where a baby grand piano was available. From the salon's window, she could see the building where the female students stayed. In one room, a myriad of lights flashed. Someone probably brought a disco ball and was having a party.

While she practiced, Ai did some sketches. It was almost 11 PM when she decided to finish. From the window, the number of lighted rooms was much less. The room with the party was still active. Ranka pitied the students who were wasting their opportunities at camp. She gathered her music and opened the salon door. As soon as she stepped on the marble floor of the hallway, her foot slipped.

"Ah!"

Desperately, her right hand gripped the door handle while her left tried to stop her fall. Behind her, Ai yelled.

"Ranka!"

The door swung with her momentum and she landed on Ai.

"Owww..." Ranka did not want to hurt Ai, so she put her hand on the ground for leverage. When she touched the floor, it felt greasy. She lifted her hand and smelled it: olive oil. Cautiously, she found a spot on the floor that was not slippery and eased herself off Ai. Then she helped Ai stand.

"Are you ok, Ai-chan?"

"I ok. Ranka ok?"

"Yes, thanks to you." Ranka looked at the slippery area. Olive oil was spilled around the door within a two-foot radius. She tore off a page from her notebook and wrote a big sign: Watch out, slippery. Then she left the sign on the floor. The janitors had left for the day, so she would let them know in the morning.

They went back to their room. From there, Ranka called her brother. Brera came over and she told him what happened. Anger formed on his usually stoic face.

"I'll get to the bottom of this! I've sent the note to the lab. I'll let you know what they find out. In the meantime, keep Ai with you."

"Yes, onii-chan."

He put a hand on her shoulder and spoke in a reassuring voice. "Don't worry. We'll catch them. So get some sleep, all right? Don't give them the satisfaction of knowing that it's affecting you."

He had a point. She nodded in agreement. "I will. Good night, onii-chan."

Brera kissed his sister on her forehead. "Goodnight, Ranka." Then he left.

Ranka got ready for bed. She did some yoga meditation before contacting Sheryl. With the best smile on her face, she was determined to look cheerful for her Galaxy Fairy.

-----

Their small group of players practiced with Robin in the morning. Later that afternoon, Luca visited.

"This isn't much, but I hope you like it," said a blushing Luca as he offered Nanase a huge bouquet of flowers. In comparison, it dwarfed Miranda's and Sharin's bouquets.

"Oh! You shouldn't have!" said Nanase as she happily accepted it. She inhaled deeply. "Wow! These are really fresh!"

"Thanks! I grew them myself in my greenhouse! I had so many, so I asked Filippo cut you some before they wilted!"

At his words, Ranka slapped her palm against her forehead lightly. Luca should not have said the last sentence to give the impression that he grew the flowers specifically for Nanase.

The mood was ruined, but Nanase took it in stride. "Luca dear, sometimes it's ok not to say too much."

After the flowers were deposited in a large pail, Nanase proudly showed her pieces to Luca.

"Nanase, after camp is over, what are they going to do with your pieces?" asked Luca.

Nanase shrugged. "Give it back to us, I guess."

"Are you planning to do anything with them?"

"Not really. I'll just put them in the closet." Then she pointed to a painted landscape. "Well... maybe not this one. This one came out pretty good."

Luca rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his curls. "Umm... is it okay... if I borrow the ones you don't like?"

Nanase stared at him in surprise. "You want them?"

The perpetual blush on Luca's cheeks increased even more. He looked shyly at her and pressed his index fingers together. "I'd like to hang them in my room... if you don't mind..."

Nanase hugged him happily. "Of course! Which ones do you want? You can even have that one!"

After they finished looking at the student artwork, they explored the mansion grounds together. When they got to the overlook, Ranka excused herself and dragged her brother along to give Nanase and Luca some private time.

As they viewed the cityscape from the overlook, Nanase hooked arms with Luca. She wanted to lean her head against his shoulder, but sadly, Luca was still too short for a decent lean. She would have to wait.

They pointed at various places and tried to identify them. While they were looking, Luca's watch beeped. He pressed it off.

"It's getting late, so I better get going."

"So soon?" said Nanase, feeling disappointed. "If you stay a little longer, you could see the sunset."

"I have to return to the base. I'm working with my team to get ready for the flight instruction tomorrow." He looked around. "Are they coming back?"

Nanase understood what he meant and blushed. "No."

Luca glanced at her shyly and forced the words out of his mouth. "M--may I... k--k--kiss you...?"

Instead of answering, Nanase took off her glasses, leaned down slightly and closed her eyes.

Luca's blush spread across his cheeks. He gulped nervously and licked his lips. He leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on those waiting lips. When he drew back, his spine drew ramrod straight. "I'll call you later! Bye!" He turned and ran down the steps.

Nanase opened her eyes and waved. "Bye!"

Luca turned to wave. At that moment, the wind blew through the orchard. Nanase's hair flowed up along with loose petals from nearby flowers. The scene of her outlined against the city landscape and the light orange sky etched into his mind. As he ran, his steps faltered and he stopped in the middle of the orchard. The feeling that he was missing something special filled his heart.

"I guess... you don't know what you have until you lose it..." whispered Luca.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and called his butler to tell him to wait a bit longer and to tell his vice-captain to take over training. Then he ran back to watch the sunset with his lovely girlfriend.

-----

Later that evening, Sheryl spoke to her again about another rendezvous. Excitedly, Ranka prepared the bag of linen and flew over to the carrier. She waited patiently. To her dismay, Sheryl was caught again.

Crestfallen, she returned to the mansion. When she arrived in her room, Ai walked up to her with a makeshift bouquet of wild blossoms.

"Ranka like flowers?"

Ranka accepted it. "Is this for me?"

Ai nodded. "Nice flowers. No sad anymore."

The quarter-meltran smiled at her concern. Ai could probably sense her emotions through the link. "I'm not sad. See?"

Ai hugged her. "Ranka happy now?"

Ranka returned the hug. She could not fool Ai. "I'm a bit happier now. Thanks for the flowers."

They put the flowers in an empty vase. As she lay in bed, she could not help but think about all the strange incidents that happened so far. Who was doing it? Why were they doing it?

Her eyes stared at the flowers in the vase. At least, Luca came to visit Nanase. Jealousy rose in heart as she remembered the size of Nanase's bouquet. She realized that she was not being fair to Sheryl, but she wished that her Fairy could visit her. Was it too much to see her in person? Envy and longing filled her heart. Silently, she let her tears fall.

She cried for several minutes and then uttered her name as if it was a wish. "Sheryl..."

Suddenly, she entered link space. She turned to Ai. "Huh? What's wrong, Ai-chan... Sheryl?!" She covered her mouth in surprise.

Sheryl hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

"D-don't cry... Or else... I'll cry too."

Her Galaxy Fairy apologized once more. Ranka tried to reassure her that it was not her fault. "It's just me... I get depressed easily."

"Then let it out. Hit me... scream at me... do anything but hold it in!"

Sheryl was having her own problems. Ranka did not want her to worry. "I can't do that to you. Don't worry about me. I'll deal with it on my own. Besides, just having you here now made me feel better. So get some rest. You're the one in the pilot's course."

Ranka clung to her beloved and drew strength from her presence. Eyes drooping, she drifted off to sleep.

-----

Ranka hurried to piano class which replaced scripting for the rest of the week. When she entered the music room, she was surprised to see Megan there instead of Mr. Kazhik. As she scanned for a seat, Robin waved from the second row. She joined her friend and pretended not to see Sharin who sat on the fourth row.

"Hello, everyone!" greeted Megan. "Some of you are wondering why I'm here. Mr. Kazhik caught the flu and won't be able to teach. Mr. Roverock asked me to teach in his place. Although some of you know me already, please bear with the introductions so that we can get to know each other."

Megan started with herself and asked each student to introduce his or her self. Then she began the piano exercises.

Ranka was about to leave at the end of class when Megan asked her to stay. Megan talked to her about her technique, complimenting and criticizing various aspects. When everyone else had left the room, her teacher changed the subject.

"You seem to be getting along with Robin."

"Yes, we've been doing homework together."

Relief shone on Megan's face. "Then that makes it easier. I want to ask you a favor. Please, help her overcome her weakness. She's very talented. It would be a waste if she couldn't express herself."

"But why me?"

"I talked to your music teacher at St. Maria's. She said that you used to be so nervous about singing in public. I was hoping that you could teach her how to overcome it."

Ranka fidgeted anxiously. "I'm really flattered but... I... I don't know how I did it myself."

"Please. Help her. I wouldn't ask this if I thought she had nothing to learn from you."

"But... I'm just a student."

"She's just a student too. And yet, she's willing to share her passion for music. Mr. Adean tells me that your composition skills have improved a lot in a week."

An embarrassed blush spread across Ranka's cheeks. She felt ashamed at her own fear of not fulfilling Megan's expectations. Her hand clenched with renewed determination. "Alright. I'll do my best."

"Thank you," said Megan as she nodded her head slightly.

The rest of the day passed routinely. After dinner, she and Robin went to the music salon to practice piano. Ranka told Robin about Megan's feedback.

"It seems that my left hand is a little too slow sometimes. She also mentioned that I need to read ahead faster if the tempo increases."

Robin sat down on the bench and leafed through her sheet music. "That just comes with practice. How about we try the pieces we did in class?"

"Ok."

They had practiced about thirty minutes when the door opened to admit Brera. He had his guitar with him.

"Hi Ranka. I was hoping you'd be here. After you're done, do you have a bit of time to help me practice? I need more practice in harmonizing in a group."

"Oh... I already promised Robin that I'd accompany her for her violin sonata. Can you wait after we're done?"

"Sure. Call me when you're ready." Brera turned to leave.

Just then, an idea lit in Ranka's head. Maybe, she could hit two birds with one stone. "On second thought, how about we all play together after I finish this piece?"

"Hmmm... I'm ok with that," said Brera.

Robin shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Ranka played through her piece and marked down the passages that she needed to practice.

"What are we going to play?" asked her brother.

"Something easy to start with... How about... Your Sound? Please don't get the idea that I'm trying to promote my own single. It's just that it's the first thing that came to mind that has our instruments," replied Ranka.

"That's fine. At least, all of us know the tune and we don't have to concentrate on sight-reading so much," said Robin.

While they prepared the digipads and sound system, Ranka opened the link to Ai. She gave her some instructions.

The sound system would provide the rhythm for the drums and the trumpet. Brera downloaded the piece into it and hooked up the interface jack to his cyborg controller so that he can adjust it while they played. Then he set the timer and quickly picked up his guitar.

_5, 4, 3, 2, 1..._

When the sound system played the first note of the trumpet, Brera strummed the first chord. For several measures, he played the opening. Then Ranka joined in with the melody on the piano. A few measures later, the soft harmony of the violin supported the piano. They had played about one-quarter of the piece when Robin spoke.

"Slow down, Brera. Tempo at 90. Ranka, listen to Brera."

Ranka swallowed nervously. The speed at which she could do successive eighth notes was not fast enough. Robin realized that she was lagging. The contralto went into conductor mode and wanted her to follow the new tempo that was set by Brera's pace. Since the pressure to keep up lessened, she carefully listened to her brother.

Soon, she fell in step with Robin and Brera and the melody and harmony began to blend together. The violin's long legatos combined with the piano and caressed her ears with a suite of soothing harmonics. The piano and guitar traded the melody back and forth. She almost did not want to give it up since she liked how it sounded from the baby grand piano. However, she wanted to hear Brera play, so she did her best to accompany him.

Unlike his robotic acting, his guitar playing was richer and more vibrant. He sounded so confident sometimes that Ranka thought that he was showing off. A quick glance revealed a rare smile on his face while he played the main melody. Ranka giggled a little. Maybe, he really was showing off.

Instead of finishing the piece as written, Robin asked them to repeat from a certain measure. Ranka did not mind. She was having so much fun. Her fingers tingled with excitement and were impatient to touch the keys.

The piece faded gradually from forte to pianissimo near the end, but when they played those measures, the notes remained vibrant and with a sense of reluctance, faded to silence.

For several moments, they remained still at their final position as if they wanted to hold onto the song for just a bit longer. At the same time, they glanced up at each other and smiled with satisfaction and pride. Just then, someone clapped.

One door to the music salon was open. Nanase stood near the door and was clapping with Ai. Beyond the door, a dozen students were clapping too. Immediately, Robin blushed scarlet.

"H-How long have all of you been here?"

"Me? Ai-chan and I have been standing here about half-way through the piece," replied Nanase. "The others stopped by when they heard you guys playing."

Sam Pheaze walked in and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "If you don't mind, I can play the drums for you."

Another male student offered, "I can play bass!"

One by one, each student asked to play a part. Instead of answering, Ranka turned to Robin.

"How many can you handle, Maestro?"

Robin blinked several times before she understood. She stared at the throng of eager musicians at the door and paled. Her voice caught in her throat.

Meanwhile, Brera was moving the music stands and the sound equipment. "If we arrange it like this, everyone can fit in the room."

For several moments, the contralto's lower lip quivered nervously. She glanced at Ranka. The quarter-meltran's eyes glinted with challenge.

Robin closed her eyes and swallowed. She turned to the students. "I-if you can find a space, please join us. I'll show the arrangement to each of you."

The green-haired girl smiled sweetly in approval. In the link, Ranka thanked Ai for her help. She watched as her classmates took their places. Tonight, they would make more wonderful music together.

It was almost 11 PM when their group finished the last piece. Everyone was in high spirits as they said their goodbyes.

Robin flopped down on a padded bench. Her voice filled with wonder. "That was awesome..."

Ranka smiled at her reaction. "Isn't it?"

"I've never played like that with anyone before!"

"Sometimes, you just need to have fun with the music. Just play it from your heart. Let it flow and be heard. And then, everyone can join in with the song."

The contralto lifted her hand to her chest. "To flow from your heart... I see... Music is meant to be shared, isn't it?"

"Yes... I believe so."

Robin laughed and rubbed her forehead. "I've been going about it all wrong!"

"About what?"

She clasped her hands over her lap. "Every time I saw the sheet music, it always felt like a test. I felt that I needed to get it right... to be perfect. Then my music will sound perfect. But today, I wasn't thinking of making it perfect. I was just thinking of being able to play with everyone." She looked up at Ranka. "It was the best music I've ever played so far."

Ranka patted her shoulder in agreement. "There'll be more."

A wide grin stretched over Robin's face. "I hope so. I'd like that." She stood up and stretched. "I'm so fired up that I could play all night!"

"And fall asleep during your own recital? I'd be so embarrassed to play for you!" teased Ranka.

"Spoil sport..." muttered Robin. Then she laughed and Ranka laughed with her.

-----

That evening, Ranka told Sheryl about Megan and Robin. At last, she had some good news to share. The Galaxy Fairy, on the other hand, had a really bad day.

"Ozma-nii is there?!" exclaimed Ranka.

"Yeah... he was really strict."

She eyed her suspiciously. "Is he bullying you?"

Sheryl waved her hands. "No... not at all... He yelled at everyone." Then she yawned. "Do you mind if we sleep soon? I'm really tired..."

Ranka patted her lap. "I'm at your service..."

A smile bloomed on Sheryl's face and she laid her head on Ranka's lap. Before Cinderella's song was done, the Fairy had drifted off to sleep.

-----

The next day, Brera told them about the lab results after dinner. "The lab found several fingerprints and some of the prints were clear enough to identify three people. The rest of the prints were too faint." He pointed to his digipad which showed a picture of the girl who was sometimes seen with Miranda and Sharin. "Here's the first. Alva Lone. FAAP second-year. Works as a teen model at Entertainment Universe. Has an older sister, Yu Lone."

"Yu Lone..." repeated Ranka. "She sounds familiar."

"It is. Yu was originally cast to play Mao."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Oh my god... She must think I stole her sister's part!"

Brera nodded. "We have a possible motive. But... she wasn't there when we came from the orchard."

"You think someone put her up to it?" suggested Nanase.

"Someone else knew that the man was near the overlook. Furthermore, the overlook is far from the mansion. There's a sign on the rail and it's not readable with normal vision. Even the lens in my cybernetic eye has to magnify thrice to see the letters clearly."

"What about the two other people?" asked Ranka.

"Luke Macmillan, Mihoshi second-year," replied Brera.

"He's the one that gave the note to me."

"The last is Ben Grant, Mihoshi second-year. He's in your Fan club. I talked to both of them. Luke seems clueless, so he's probably just a messenger. Ben got the note from a FAAP student."

"It came from FAAP! So what are we waiting for? Let's go get her!" said Nanase as she stood up.

Brera held up his hand. "We need proof. We have to catch them in the act. I've put them under surveillance."

"How'd you do that?" asked Nanase.

"With this." The cyborg unclasped a cylinder from his belt. Green lights flashed on its surface and with a whir of tiny gears, it transformed into a small beetle. "It's equipped with audio and video receptors. It collects data and transmits it to my memory banks. Furthermore, it can fly, so it can follow them around."

"Wow..." exclaimed Nanase in wonder. "You two are really are brother and sister."

"Of course, we are. Why did you even say that?"

"Because you two command bugs!" Both Brera and Ranka stared at her with narrowed eyes. "Sorry... that was a bad pun." Then her voice laced with concern. "Anyway... isn't tapping illegal?"

"If it's done in a private residence. I'll have it follow them in public places." He squeezed his sister's shoulder reassuringly. "This time, we'll get them."

-----

On Wednesday morning, Mr. Roverock and the FAAP director, Mrs. Flair, addressed everyone during breakfast. In his talk, Mr. Roverock mentioned the olive oil incident as well as other pranks that Ranka was not aware of. It seemed that other students were victims as well. Mr. Roverock ended by saying, "The owner has agreed to put surveillance cameras in public areas. If you're caught, I'll kick you out of camp and put you on probation. A reprimand will appear on your record."

The day progressed with no strange incidents. That evening, Brera expressed his irritation over the announcement.

"If he just held off by a day, maybe we could've caught them," grumbled Brera.

"It's ok, onii-chan. As long as it stops, then it's fine," said Ranka.

"What if... we make it easier for them?" said Nanase.

Brera's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

The artist's glasses glinted as she adjusted it slightly. "Let's give them an opportunity they can't ignore."

Ranka gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "A trap?"

An evil smile spread on her best friend's face. "How about if we..."

They listened to Nanase's plan. When she finished, Brera sat in silence for a few seconds before speaking.

"The probability of success is high. Pending Ranka's agreement, I'm in favor of executing it."

Ranka swallowed nervously. One word from her and Alva or whoever was behind it would be put on probation. She made her decision. "Let's go ahead... but only if we can confront her ourselves. There's no need to tell Mr. Roverock."

"What?" said Brera and Nanase at the same time.

"All I want is for her to stop and apologize. I'm sorry that her sister didn't get the role, but I believe that Yu Lone is a good actress. From what I've learned in acting class, an actor doesn't get an award because of the role. He gets the award because of his performance. Yu doesn't need to play Mao to shine. She can shine in whatever role she takes. I'm going to tell Alva that."

Nanase sighed. "I guess if it's alright with you, then we'll talk to her privately. However..." Nanase adjusted her glasses again, causing it to flash a glint. "We have to wait for a good time. After Mr. Roverock's speech, she's going to be cautious."

"Agreed," said Brera. "I'll keep her under surveillance for now. But we should be ready to spring the trap."

"Alright!" Nanase thrust her hand forward like players do before a game. "Let's do operation Ranka's Revenge!"

Ranka sighed and put her hand on top of Nanase's. "Why do you have to name it?"

Ai put her hand on top and Brera put his last. "How about Operation Payback?"

"That's still a name."

Despite her best efforts to dissuade them, Operation Extra Payback And Revenge became the code name. After they discussed the logistics of OEPAR, they did homework as usual. Later that night, Ranka made her customary visit to her Fairy.

"Megan said that I need to work on my fingering technique for some of the more complex pieces. It just feels so awkward sometimes."

"What did she say?"

Ranka wiggled her fingers in the air. "Well... I'm just having a hard time with upstroke and downstroke. You see, I try something like this and she says it sort of turns into something like this..."

"Here, let me help you..." Sheryl closed her eyes. The space in front of Ranka morphed into a keyboard.

"Oh!" exclaimed Ranka in surprise.

Sheryl floated behind her. Her arms ran parallel to the quarter-meltran's and her right hand positioned over middle C. Her warm cheek touched hers. "Watch carefully... upstroke... downstroke... upstroke... downstroke..."

For several minutes, Sheryl demonstrated various fingering techniques by overlapping her fingers with Ranka's. Through the link, Ranka could feel the tension of each finger as it pressed into a key. Just like the time when she shared the memories of the meadow with Sheryl, the Galaxy Fairy shared memories of learning piano with her. Soon, she had a much better understanding of the body and arm positions for particular techniques.

"Looks like you're getting the idea," said Sheryl proudly.

"Really? Thanks!"

"Wanna play something together?"

Verdant locks bounced up. "Sure! What should we play?"

"Do you remember Lion?"

"Yes!"

"I'll play the left hand part. You play the right hand part."

"Eh? But how will I know...?"

Sheryl winked. "Just think about the fingering technique and the notes that you need to play will be obvious. Let's start slow."

"Oh... I guess I'll give it a try."

The Galaxy Fairy placed her left hand on the keyboard. "Ready when you are."

Ranka drew a deep breath and played the first note, A. At the same time, Sheryl played the A minor chord. It was awkward at first since her left hand was restless. After about ten measures, Ranka clenched her hand to prevent it from distracting her. Note by note, she was beginning to get the hang of it.

"Let's go a little faster now," coaxed Sheryl.

Ranka increased the tempo. She still managed to hit the notes. When they were about five measures from the Coda, Sheryl spoke.

"One measure from the Coda, let's switch. 3... 2... 1..."

Their hands crossed over the keyboard. On cue, Ranka played the F minor chord while Sheryl followed up with the melody after a rest. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sheryl wink at her.

"Nice..." praised Sheryl.

Her heart glowed with joy at the Galaxy Fairy's compliment. When they were done, Ranka exclaimed, "That was great! One more time!"

Sheryl laughed at her enthusiasm. Her left hand assumed its original position. "After you..."

Green locks bounced up with excitement and she played the A key once more. They played a few other pieces together before Sheryl yawned visibly.

"I'm sorry... looks like this is my limit."

The yawn was infectious. Ranka clasped her hand to her mouth. "Me too..." She snuggled against her. "Can I hold you?"

Her Galaxy Fairy kissed her gently. "All night long..."

------

On Thursday afternoon, they found Miranda, Sharin and Alva near the flower maze.

"Alva Lone and Sharin McIntosh, may we talk to you privately?" asked Brera.

"What's this about?" asked Miranda.

"It doesn't involve you," replied the cyborg. "We only have business with them."

"We? All four of you and just the two of them? That seems rather unfair. I'm staying."

Brera looked at Ranka who shrugged. She was not sure if Miranda was preparing to defend them or was just acting contrary to what Brera wanted. In either case, it did not matter. "I don't care what you do. It's up to Alva and Sharin to decide whether they want you here."

"What do you want with us?" asked Sharin as if she were addressing obnoxious fans.

Nanase lifted a small paper bag and pulled out a bottle of Meltene ProZ. "This. My boyfriend's butler bought Ranka and me more shampoo because we were running out. He brought it over to me when I was taking pictures at the orchard."

Alva stared at the bag and said nothing.

"You wanted to talk about shampoo? Sorry, but I don't have time for nonsense." Sharin turned to leave.

Brera stood in front of her. "Please stay."

"What in space... get out of my way!"

No matter what she did, Brera moved so quickly to block her way, thus becoming like an impenetrable wall. Meanwhile, Nanase continued.

"I got a call from my boyfriend and put the bag with my notebook near the gardener's shed. Unfortunately, I forgot about it until after drawing class. I returned to the orchard and checked the bottles. Someone put weed killer in Ranka's shampoo, but not mine."

"So what does that have to do with me?" asked Alva crossly.

"You're in my class, so you were in the orchard too," said Nanase. "My name is on my notebook, so you knew that it was my stuff. But there are two bottles. Meltene ProZ is specially formulated for meltran hair. It wasn't hard to guess which bottle was for me and which was for Ranka."

"Other people were there too! Big deal! Even if you check the bottle for finger prints, you won't find mine!" said Alva hotly.

"You're right. We won't." Brera showed his digipad. It was a video feed from one of his beetles. "You put gloves on before pouring it in."

Miranda turned to Alva. "You disgust me. I always thought there was something wrong with you."

Alva's face distorted with rage and humiliation. She fumed at Ranka. "It's not fair! Why did it have to be you! Mao was my sister's!"

Nanase's voice rose like a sales girl who saved the best feature for last. "But that's not all! Here's the video before Alva did it! See? She's calling someone on her phone. Based on her position, Alva is facing the mansion. She's looking up. Now let's see it again with audio."

The digipad speaker crackled to life. "Hi Sharin. It's me. Nanase left a bag by the shed. It has Ranka's shampoo in it." Alva paused. "Ok, I'll wait."

Brera explained, "Sharin asked her to wait. Since we were told that the surveillance cameras were only in the mansion, nobody would know if anything happened in the orchard. The videos of the mansion are available upon request, so I asked for the ones that monitored the areas facing the orchard."

Without warning, Sharin slammed into Brera. However, the cyborg stood his ground. The idol bounced off him instead. Meanwhile, Nanase played another video. It showed Sharin standing by a second floor balcony door and looking through a pair of opera glasses.

Nanase continued, "Sharin wanted to check if there was anyone near Alva in the orchard. So she asked Alva to wait before she spiked Ranka's shampoo."

"Miranda told me to do it!" Sharin pointed an accusing finger at the actress.

"What?! Are you out of your mind?!" yelled Miranda.

"You're always saying, 'We should do something about her.' and 'We have to show that we're the ones with the real talent'!"

"Don't you dare twist my words, you back-stabbing bitch! I'd never stoop to something like this! I'm Miss Macross! I can't let her rank higher than me on the charts! One day, I'm going to beat her off the charts! It's your perverted mind that made nonsense about my pure goals!"

"But... if we didn't do anything... she'd-"

Miranda's eyes narrowed and she cut her off. "You don't think I can do it."

Sharin opened her mouth but no words came out. She pressed her lips together and stared at the ground.

Without a word, Miranda turned and stalked away. When she was out of sight, Alva burst into tears.

For several seconds, nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Then Sharin lurched to stand with her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"So you know. Are you going to turn us in?"

Ranka delivered her ultimatum. "Only if you don't stop. If you play a prank on me or someone else, then the videos will be sent to Mrs. Flair."

Then she turned to Alva and told the crying girl what she thought of Yu Lone. She ended by saying, "She's recovered already, didn't she? I heard she got cast in a lead role."

Even through her sniffles, Alva's voice hinted of pride. "Yes, she did."

"I wish her luck. Good night."

Without a second glance, they left Alva and Sharin behind.

-----

The next day, Ranka did not see Sharin in any of the classes that she shared with her. After lunch, Brera gathered them together in Ranka's room.

"Sharin's been booted," declared her brother.

Ranka's eyes went wide. "What? You didn't send the videos, right, onii-chan?"

"I didn't send any. She was charged as an accomplice to your attempted assault. The police took her into custody this morning."

The green-haired girl covered her face with her hands. Those usually bouncy locks hung limply by her cheeks. "I didn't want this."

Brera hugged his gentle sister. "I know."

"Who could've told them?" wondered Nanase.

"She was also charged with petty larceny," said the cyborg.

The artist's eyes went round. "Don't tell me... Miranda sold her out..."

Brera spoke somberly. "That would be the logical explanation. She knew Sharin had the opera glasses and that the balcony overlooks the orchard. Even if the police can't connect Sharin to the assault, the larceny will stay on her record since they found the glasses in her bag."

Ranka remembered Miranda's cold eyes that afternoon. She shivered slightly and rested her head on her brother's chest. At least, she was surrounded by people whom she could trust. There was a snake among them and she hoped that the rest of boot camp would proceed more peacefully.

After Nanase left, her brother said, "Ranka, there's something that I'd like to show you after dinner."

"What is it?"

It seemed that his eyes looked at her sadly. "I'll tell you later. Can you keep that time open for me?"

Seeing her brother like that made Ranka feel uneasy. She ignored those feelings. "Sure. Just let me know."

Quietly, they walked to their respective classes. As they did so, Ranka wondered what her brother would show her.

* * *

Continued in Mvmt III. Erschütterung (A Violent Shaking)

* * *

Author's note: For the musicians out there, the sheet music for Lion is on my webpage.


	3. Mvmt III: Erschütterung

**Mvmt III. Erschutterung (A Violent Shaking)**

"It's just a phase."

His brother called him last night to talk about Ranka. Even over the video call, he sounded worried and troubled. "I'm sending you a bunch of stuff to read. Then you'll understand what I mean."

Brera reviewed the articles that his brother sent for the fifth time.

_Romantic friendship  
Class S Relationships  
Experiments on Sexuality: Gay Until Graduation  
Adolescent Homosexuality: Deviations from the Norm_

As he read, Ozma's explanation repeated in his mind. "It's a crush gotten outta hand. Even if we show her this stuff, she's too blinded to see the truth. It's our duty to straighten her out. We gotta stop it now before she gets hurt more."

The cyborg stirred uneasily in his chair while the instructor droned on. Distinguished experts published the articles and their experimental approach was within logical parameters. Brera glanced at his watch. His brother would arrive sometime after dinner.

"That brat's corrupting our sister. We gotta take drastic measures."

He remembered Ozma's last words before he hung up. "It's for her own good."

The cyborg gritted his teeth and once again convinced himself that their plan was for Ranka's benefit. However, his heart felt hollow at the idea of performing his duty as an older sibling. He wiped his sweaty palm on his pants.

"I have to do it... It's the right thing to do."

* * *

"What is it, onii-chan?" asked Ranka as she followed Brera down the corridor.

"There's something we want to tell you," replied her brother.

"We?" wondered Ranka. When they entered the grand hall, she got her answer. Ozma waved to them from the main entrance.

"Ozma-nii!" exclaimed Ranka as she half-ran to her older brother. She hugged him cheerfully. "What brings you here?"

Ozma hugged her back. However, he did not match her cheerful mood. There was no mirth in his eyes and he replied flatly, "Just wanted to see how y'all were doin'. And... there's somethin' we gotta talk about."

Hair prickled behind her neck as apprehension rose from her belly. "About what?"

Brera answered, "Let's go to one of the video rooms. Then we can tell you."

They went to one of the less frequented video rooms. Ranka noticed that Brera left one of his beetles outside. She assumed that he did not want anyone to disturb them. Then her brother connected the interface jack behind his ear to the video equipment. The room dimmed as the projector came into focus. Sheryl's mischievous face filled the screen. Ranka's heart ached in longing at the sight. The camera zoomed out. It was then that she noticed that Sheryl had shorter hair and her breasts seemed smaller.

"Before she became the Galaxy Fairy, Grace ordered me to keep an eye on Sheryl. These are my personal surveillance records of her. After what Alva did, we decided that you should know what happened in Sheryl's past."

The Galaxy Fairy entered a classroom. She was wearing an unfamiliar uniform. Ranka could only guess that it was for a school on the Galaxy colony. She approached a girl entering data on the computer in the teacher's podium. With a hand on the girl's shoulder, Sheryl spun the surprised girl to face her. Her usual teasing voice was cold and indifferent.

"This is your last warning. Stay out of my way or else."

After Sheryl walked out of the room, Brera spoke. "That girl was one of Sheryl's rivals to be the next Galaxy Fairy at Entertainment Universe. Her name is Rica."

The scene changed to show Rica sitting on a bench outside a studio. Beyond the glass windows, another girl was singing. Her brother explained the situation.

"They're auditioning to sing the songs by the new songwriter who was just hired. After Lucy, Rica's next."

Rica checked her watch and put the sheet music down on the bench. Then she walked to the restroom down the hall. Sheryl came into view and walked to the bench. She looked at the sheet music and then looked around. There were no people in the hallway. She knelt down and her hand pulled out something that looked like eyeliner from her skirt pocket. With a quick stroke, she added a flat and effectively changed the key to b minor. Then she quietly walked back the way she came.

"She wrote with a make-up pencil that's used for temporary tattoos," said Brera. "It adheres to skin for about an hour and then dusts off. Since it's formulated for skin, it's not going to stay very long on paper. Eventually, it'll come off on its own within ten or fifteen minutes."

In the next scene, Sheryl and another girl were selected to sing the new songs. After Sheryl and the girl left, a man talked to Rica and told her that she was out of tune and needed to practice more.

When Ranka heard what the man said, she paled. In her mind, she saw Robin instead of the man. In place of Rica, she saw herself.

Robin's words filled her thoughts. "You sang in the wrong key!"

She remembered the smudge on the Flower Aria's sheet music. "Could it be...?"

Her suspicions were interrupted by the sight of Sheryl going into an empty dressing room. She opened a closet and sprayed a green dress. Then she left quickly.

The next scene showed Rica dancing on stage with the green dress. Suddenly, her dress began to dissolve and poor Rica frantically tried to cover herself up. In reaction, Ranka's hand covered her mouth in horror and shock.

"Rica's dress is made of a type of polymer that's silk-like. Unfortunately, it seems to have a weakness against a particular chemical," explained Brera.

As Rica was escorted off the stage, Emma's apologetic face flashed in Ranka's mind. Her classmate was mending her torn costume.

The light from the projector flickered and the scene changed to a dance studio. This time, Sheryl entered a room where shoes were stored and closed the door quietly. No one else was around. Her closed fist went into a compartment and withdrew. Brera pointed to the wall where there was a clock and a calendar.

"It was just after 8 AM when she went here. So let me fast forward to 3 PM..."

The clock's hands were at 3 PM. The door opened to admit several girls including Rica. Rica reached into the compartment that Sheryl accessed before. She took out a pair of ballet shoes and put one shoe on. Suddenly, she yelped in pain and withdrew her foot. Two tacks were stuck to her toes which dripped a few drops of blood onto the floor. Ranka turned her face away at the sight. She felt a little sick.

"There's more," said Brera.

She did not want to see anymore. Already, despair gripped her heart. However, with her two brothers sitting next to her, she could not leave. Her eyes were forced to watch.

Rica was in the classroom again. This time, Sheryl came in with two other girls. The Galaxy Fairy spun Rica around and slapped her. Ranka recoiled as if she was the one who got hit.

"How dare you..." intoned that dark, dangerous voice. Those pale blue eyes were icy with hate. "You think that you're all that, but you're nothing but a whore. Mark my words. We're going to make sure that you'll never sing again."

The next scene showed Rica singing on stage. Up in the sound booth, a man walked in. He put a small brown bag on the chair nearest to the large control panel and hung his coat on a peg. Then he looked at something on the computer across the control panel. After consulting the information on the computer, he adjusted several controls on the panel before leaving the room. A few minutes later, Sheryl walked in. She sat in the chair and adjusted the controls. Then she left before the man returned.

The man came back and watched Rica for a few minutes. There was a beeping noise on the control panel and he pressed a button marked spotlight 7. Sparks burst over the stage and a metallic apparatus fell. Rica screamed.

Unable to watch any longer, Ranka shut her eyes and turned away. However, she had caught a glimpse of Rica lying on the stage with a bright red stain on her blouse.

Brera noticed his sister's reaction. If she would not watch, then she could still listen. He cleared his throat.

"Rica was hospitalized. Unfortunately, the accident damaged her spine. She couldn't walk again. Her contract was terminated."

Ranka stood up. Her hair hid her eyes which were brimming with tears. She managed to say, "Are we done?"

Brera steeled his resolve and replied coldly, "No."

Ozma grabbed her arm and pulled her back to her seat. "Sit down. Ya gotta see it all."

Helplessly, Ranka watched as the two other girls were subjected to Sheryl's pranks. One lost a modeling chance when she slipped on spilled water in the break room and broke her hip. The other had an allergic reaction to make-up which was mixed with an irritating substance. The girl's face became swollen and puffy. Because of that, she was not able to do photo shoots for fashion magazines that were interested in her. In the end, the contracts of the two girls were terminated for their poor performance.

Then the scene changed to a party. Grace held up a glass of champagne. "I'd like to propose a toast to the success of Sheryl's singles. She tops the charts at #1!" She paused as everyone clapped and cheered. When the clapping died down, she raised her glass. "To Sheryl! The Galaxy Fairy!"

The camera panned to Sheryl who lifted her glass in triumph. Ranka shivered as the Fairy's lips curled into a smile. That once beautiful smile warmed her heart every time she saw it. But now, it was formed by the lips of a predator with a matching icy stare that promised defeat for all who dared to defy her.

As that face filled the screen, the temperature of the room seemed to drop and her body trembled as the chill in her heart spread. She felt empty. When the projector finally dimmed, she quickly rose from her seat and ran out of the room before her brothers could stop her. She ran all the way to her room and flung herself onto the bed. There, she wept into her pillow.

"Ranka!" cried Ai in alarm. "Why so sad?" The Vajra sat by her side and looked at her closely.

Ranka could not answer. She continued to cry into her pillow and wished that Ai would leave. However, the Vajra just sat there patiently. Ranka lost track of time when the Vajra finally spoke.

"You... sad about Sheryl..." said Ai slowly with a voice that echoed the despair in Ranka's heart.

Her fist gripped the pillow and she rasped out, "Don't... don't say that name..."

"You angry... hurt inside... why?"

Ai must be sensing her through the link. "Stop it! Leave me alone!"

"But Ranka sad!"

The quarter-meltran turned away from her and whispered into her pillow. "Leave me alone... please... Go to Nana-chan..."

When Ai did not answer immediately, Ranka thought of pushing her out of the room. However, a few moments later, Ai stood up from the bed.

"Ranka sad... I sad too. Why not say? I listen. I wait." Ai's hand rested over Ranka's heart. "I here. Ask and I come." With that, the Vajra left the room.

About ten minutes later, someone knocked on her door.

"Ranka?" came Brera's flat voice.

Ranka turned away from the door and did not reply. She hoped that he would go away. Brera knocked several times before she heard the metallic sound of the doorknob being turned.

"Ranka... I'm coming in."

That was her only warning. The door creaked open and her brother slid the bolt after he entered. Her hand gripped the bed sheets. The door should have been locked. She was sure that she locked it. Her eyes widened in realization when she remembered that Ai left. As usual, her charge forgot to lock the door.

The bed shifted as Brera sat behind her. She did not greet him. He cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. We want to make sure that you knew what you were getting into."

His words puzzled Ranka. "Getting into what?"

"Your relationship with Sheryl. I know you like her a lot. But you've only seen what she wants you to see. I had to show you what she's been hiding from you all this time. I can't keep quiet anymore. Not after what Alva and Sharin did. By the way, did she tell you that she's their mentor?"

Her heart skipped a beat. For a few seconds, the shock silenced her voice. When she managed to speak, barely a whisper passed from her lips. "What...?"

"After Miranda and Sharin signed their contracts with Entertainment Universe, the executive board assigned Sheryl to mentor them. She's supposed to help them for a year or two after their debut."

"She... she didn't tell me..." murmured Ranka as she wondered what other secrets Sheryl hid from her.

Her mind was in a jumble. When Sheryl welcomed her in the fold link, Ranka felt so happy to be permitted to enter. "And I thought she was opening up to me. How could I be so stupid!?" Disappointment wrenched her heart. The Galaxy Fairy's door was still closed.

She felt Brera's hand stroking her head gently. "I know what she's like since I watched her for many years. That's why I'm worried that she'll use you. She can act like a really nice person in front of the big names in showbiz but as soon as they turn around, she goes back to her real self. Right now, I can't tell if she's really changed from her previous self. She may say that she loves you now, but who knows how long that'll last. I don't want her to hurt you. So I had to tell you."

He continued, "Besides... don't you just admire her? You might be confusing your feelings of admiration for love. I've done a bit of research... Sometimes young girls experience a hormonal imbalance that can make them lose control of their emotions. They mistake the deep friendship for another girl as love. Maybe you're at that stage. Maybe not. I can't tell. Half of me is machine. All I can do is give you information and hope that you'll make the right decision."

His words filled her heart with despair. She blurted out, "What should I do, onii-chan?"

Her brother did not reply at once as if he was thinking deeply. Then he answered, "Maybe you should put some distance between you. Give yourself some time to think. You've got to think it through logically and you shouldn't act on just your emotions. Step back and look at it from a different point of view. If you do this, then I'm sure that you can figure out if you're making a mistake."

Ranka stared blankly at the dark sky as her mind digested his words. Is she confused? Was it all because of her hormones? Was her love fake? As questions formed one after another, she did not even notice that Brera wished her good night and left.

She closed her eyes, but the surveillance scenes paraded before her. As the images flashed under her eyelids, she asked, "Is this really you?"

Who did she love? Was it the talented and beautiful singer whose kind words inspired her? Was it this petty, cruel schemer who eliminated anyone who stood in her path to success? The image of Sheryl's triumphant smile as she raised her glass for a toast filled her mind. Then that smiling face was replaced with Sharin's. She recoiled at the sight. The idol was under Sheryl's tutelage. Did the Galaxy Fairy teach her all those pranks? Was Sharin just doing what her mentor taught her?

Feelings of betrayal welled from her heart and the green-haired girl sobbed into her pillow. If that was the face of show business, she did not want to build her career on such a foundation. The price of fame was not worth the evil done to rivals who competed against her. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the bed sheets in an act of self-loathing and disgust. She was such a naive fool to think that singing would bring joy to anyone who listened. It was unthinkable that her song, her presence, could hurt people. And yet, her brother showed her proof. Alva and Sharin reinforced it.

She never felt so lonely and abandoned as she lay in bed. Tears kept streaming from her eyes and showed no sign of stopping. She had no idea how much time passed until the fold link flared in her mind.

"Ranka..." called the voice that once brought her so much joy. Right now, that voice brought dread to her heart.

"Ranka... I'm here! I made it!" exclaimed an excited Galaxy Fairy.

She could not see her. Not now. She answered, "I-I'm sorry... I can't see you tonight."

Sky blue eyes widened and then filled with worry. Sheryl reached out with her arms open. "Ranka! What's wrong?"

The quarter-meltran resisted the urge to accept that consoling embrace. For an instant, Sharin's face superimposed over Sheryl's. She recoiled at the sight and backed away. "I think I need some time... to think about some things. Please leave me alone."

Before Sheryl could reply, she abruptly shut the link. Her body was trembling. Unable to control herself, she bawled into her pillow.

* * *

Sharin slapped her. Ranka staggered with the blow. She regained her footing and angrily turned to her.

Sharin grinned wickedly. "Stay out of my way or else."

Ranka was about to say something when Sharin's face blurred into Sheryl's. Horrified, she took a step back and fell down the stairs. Her body slammed down the steps and she rolled to the floor. At the top of the stairs, Sheryl looked down in triumph.

A rhythmic throb assaulted her brain. The bright light from the windows stung her eyes. An arm lifted and shielded her face from the glare. There was a dull throbbing pain, then a sound and more pain again. Or was it both? As her hazy mind wondered which, a muffled voice called out.

"Ranka... are you ok? Ranka..."

Was she still dreaming? She pinched herself. Once convinced that she was awake, she listened to the voice calling from the door. It took a few seconds for her to realize that it was Nanase. The knocks on the door echoed in the room. Ranka sat up and the room seemed to spin. Her eyes felt dry and itchy.

"Ai-chan, do you have the key?" came Nanase's alarmed voice.

"No."

Ranka felt a slight tingling sensation from her belly. Then Ai spoke.

"Ranka awake. She ok."

"Oh, thank goodness!"

The green-haired girl's face flushed with shame. She caused them to worry. Clearing her throat, she called out, "I'm fine... give me a minute."

Ranka went to the bathroom and turned on the light. A surprised gasp escaped from her lips when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were streaked with red and her eyelids were swollen and puffy. Her lips were cracked and dry.

She did what she could to repair the damage. When she was done, she tried her best to compose herself before she opened the door. Nanase and Ai were waiting in the hall.

"What happened, Ranka? When you didn't come to breakfast, Ai-chan said to wait. But now it's almost 11 and Robin was wondering if you'd like to play together."

"I'm sorry," replied Ranka. "I had a big headache last night and I'm trying to sleep it off."

Nanase put a hand on her forehead. "Why didn't you say so!? I have a first aid kit with me! What do you need? Hmmm... looks like you don't have a fever... That's good. I think I have some Ibuprofen or Aspirin."

"Yeah, maybe some Aspirin would help... I still have a little bit left."

"Ok! You stay here with Ai-chan and I'll be right back!" Nanase turned and walked hurriedly to her room.

The headache excuse worked until late afternoon. During that time, Ai did not ask anything. She just sat at the desk and drew. Ranka knew that the Vajra was waiting for her. However, she did not want to talk to Ai yet.

There was someone else waiting for her. From time to time, she could feel an attempt to connect in the link. She ignored it as well as the messages on her phone. "I can't... not until I figure it out..."

Her hand covered her heart. A whisper left her lips. "What is love?"

She wondered whether her feelings were just an illusion that was created by admiration. Could love between two girls be true? Or was it caused by adolescent hormones? Her brain hurt as questions piled up without satisfactory answers. It felt suffocating. She needed some air.

Ranka got up from bed. "I'm going for a walk, Ai-chan."

Ai stopped drawing. "I come."

"It's ok. We caught them already."

"I come," repeated Ai.

She sighed. Ai was determined to go. "Let's go."

They walked around the orchard until dinnertime. They stopped to watch the sunset at the overlook.

"Ai-chan, do Vajra have lovers?"

"Yes."

She faced her charge. "What's it like? Among Vajra, I mean..."

Ai looked puzzled. "Sisters breed and then have eggs."

"But... the Sister has to figure out which male Vajra to breed with, right?"

"What is male?"

"There's female and there's male Vajra, right? The male fertilizes the female so that she could have eggs."

"Both Sisters have eggs, so both male."

"No... the Sister is already female. She can't be male at the same time."

"I not understand."

"For example, Nanase is female and Luca is a male. If they breed, then Nanase might have an egg. But if another female breeds with Nanase, say Robin, then Nanase can't have eggs."

Ai looked even more confused. "Luca is Sister and Nanase is Sister so can breed. Robin is helper so can't breed."

"No, no... Luca is not a Sister. He's a male."

"Then why Luca breed?"

For several seconds, Ranka was silent as she tried to understand Ai's answers. And then it dawned on her. "Ai-chan, do all Vajra breed?"

"Only Sisters breed. Helpers don't breed."

A helper was a generic term for a Vajra that was not a queen. Ranka continued, "So two queens breed with each other?"

"Yes."

For the quarter-meltran, it was a startling discovery. She reminded herself to tell Dr. Zore later. At the moment, her original question was not yet answered, so she rephrased it. "Ai-chan, how does a queen pick which other queen to breed with?"

Ai did not respond at once. Her head tilted towards the sky. Finally, she spoke. "I not know. I not breed. So ask. Sisters say just like."

Ranka presented the question that plagued her. "How does a Sister figure out who she likes?"

"Just feel."

The green-haired girl slumped her shoulders in defeat. Of course, it was easy to tell among the Vajra. The link laid everything bare. All a queen had to do was sense the other queen. "Thanks Ai-chan."

Later that evening, Ranka wondered if she could use the link to sense Sheryl's feelings. However, as soon as she begun, fear gripped her heart. What if Brera was right and that Sheryl was not really serious about their relationship? She decided to find more proof before attempting to sense her.

Her thoughts kept preoccupying her throughout the weekend. She did not notice how much until Robin mentioned it during the conducting practice on Sunday afternoon.

"Stop! Stop!" said Robin as her hand slashed horizontally to signal for silence. Then she turned to Ranka. "What's wrong, Ranka? This is a cheerful piece but you're playing it as if it were a funeral march."

"I'm sorry." She did not want to explain why and bowed her head.

The contralto's eyes softened. "You don't have to force yourself to play for me. How about taking a break for today?"

Ranka shook her head. She already wasted yesterday in her room. Camp was a great opportunity to improve her music, so she wanted to do her best. "Please let me play. Don't mind me."

"I can't ignore you when you're crying so much. Hmmm.... How about I find something else that suits your mood... let's see..." Robin began tapping on her digipad.

The contralto's words shocked the quarter-meltran. Immediately, her hand touched her eyelids. When she did not feel any tears, she breathed a sigh of relief. Still, Robin's comment struck a chord. Although her eyes were dry, her heart was still crying inside. Nervous fingers gripped the wood panel under her keyboard. Did her feelings really show that much?

"Here, let's try this. Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem. Everyone, can you setup for receive? I'll transmit your parts to you. Ranka, your part was transcribed from the melody of the choir, so allow more sustain."

The strings started the pace with a light adagio. Then Ranka joined in with the horn and bassoon. She held the notes in sustain and the chords resonated softly from the piano's frame. Although this was the first time that she had ever played Lacrimosa, its melancholic melody was already resonating with the emotions in her heart. Since this piece felt sad, she released her restraint and poured those tremulous feelings into her playing.

Robin's baton twitched as the torrential downpour began. The contralto glanced over at Ranka. Her piano playing started like the slow pitter-patter of a miserable summer shower that darkened a once sunny sky. Now that they were halfway through the piece, the chords rang with heavy dissonance, like a rumbling thunderstorm in the night. Worse, the horns and timpani were in time with the temperamental chords from the piano thus accentuating the effect. Technically, Ranka's playing was not wrong, but overall, it was sad, so sad that it almost made Robin want to cry.

As she conducted, she could not help but notice the expressions of the other players. Those who wore impassive faces before now looked anxious and uncomfortable as if it hurt to hear her play. The members of the Ranka Fan club seemed worried even before they began Lacrimosa. Halfway through the piece, anguish was chiseled into their faces. It was as if they were sympathizing with their idol.

Robin held her calm and continued to conduct. Yesterday, Nanase told her that Ranka stayed in her room all day. Something must have happened on Friday. Perhaps, the green-haired girl could deal with it through music. Already, she was playing with such thick despair that it almost stifled Robin's breath. If this were what she was fighting yesterday, then it would be better to let it out instead of keeping it in. However, Ranka's playing was affecting their classmates. The torrential maelstrom of her music swept them into the depths of sadness.

Finally, the last whole note came and Robin ended the piece with a closed fist formed from a desperate need to stop the music before her own heart succumbed to sadness. Still, the note reverberated from the piano, dying with slow agony. When it echoed no more, Robin's hands landed on the music stand and she leaned on it as she breathed deeply.

For several seconds, no one stirred. Then Ranka stood up.

"Excuse me," said the green-haired girl in a choking voice. She walked out of the salon.

All eyes were riveted onto Robin. She blanched at their accusing stares.

"Alright! Alright! It was a bad idea to play that! It's my fault so I'll go talk to her, ok? I'll go right now." She bowed deeply, feeling guilty for subjecting them to such sad music. "Thank you for playing today." With that, she ran out to find Ranka.

Judging from the Cinderella's expression, she was on the verge of tears. She would probably go somewhere to be alone. Her hunch was rewarded when she found the singer on the nearest balcony. When she approached, the green-haired girl did not look in her direction and continued to weep into her hands.

Robin sat next to her. "I'm sorry about that. I should've realized that you were at your limit and stopped the piece." She sat patiently until Ranka responded.

"It's okay... I didn't realize how much it hurt," replied Ranka between sniffles. "It hurt to play... but I kinda feel better now."

Robin let out a sigh. "I'm glad." They sat quietly for a while until she commented, "Even though it was so sad, it wasn't bad. I think you played well."

This time, Ranka looked at her. "Really?"

Robin was shocked at the sight of her tear-streaked face. She wondered what caused this usually cheerful girl to be like this. "Yeah. Your interpretation was pretty good. Even the other players... and me as well... got caught up in it."

Ranka bowed her head and her verdant locks hung limply. "I'm sorry."

"No, no!" cried Robin with alarm. The last thing she wanted was to make Ranka feel that she made other people sad. "Don't take it that way! What I mean is... Uh... You expressed the sadness so well from a technical standpoint. Lacrimosa comes from the first verse of the choir, 'Lacrimosa dies illa', or 'The day of tears and mourning'. Your playing really showed that."

"Oh... thanks," said Ranka as a small smile broke into her sad face.

Robin gulped nervously and made her offer. She hoped that was not going to offend her. "Something's bothering you, right? If you want to talk about it, I'll listen. I promise to keep anything you say secret."

Ranka laughed ruefully. "Yes... but it may be an uncomfortable topic to discuss. It's sort of taboo. You may not want to hear it."

Robin's eyebrows shot up. The Cinderella portrayed such a sweet and innocent image that it was unthinkable that she was involved in something taboo. She steeled her nerves and hoped that she could help her friend. "Try me."

The green-haired girl cleared her throat and looked around. "In that case... have you..." The question hung in the air as if she was reconsidering her decision to tell her. Then the words tumbled out.

"...haveyoueverlovedanothergirl?"

Robin could not believe what she just said, but it clearly explained why it was taboo. However, it was a very personal question. She bit her lip.

Ranka must have sensed her hesitation. "I'm sorry... that was out of line, wasn't it? Forget I asked."

"It's... it's fine," assured Robin. "It's just unexpected, that's all." Her hands gripped her skirt. If talking about it could help her friend, then it was ok to answer her. "Yes, I have. Do I look like the type that likes girls?"

"No. I... I was just wondering since you don't seem to have a boyfriend. You see, I don't think I can ask Nana-chan since she's straight, so she won't be able to answer my questions."

The contralto sensed that more personal questions were coming. "What do you want to ask?"

"Well... I... I want to know the difference between a crush and true love."

"I'm sorry... I don't know. I haven't found true love yet," admitted Robin.

"Oh," said Ranka in a disappointed tone. "Umm... can I ask you another question?"

Robin was afraid of that. "Sure. Go ahead."

Ranka twiddled her index fingers. "Are you dating?"

"No. It's one-sided on my part."

"Then, do you know how she feels?"

"No," replied Robin sadly.

"If... if she liked you back, what would you do?"

Robin's eyes went round. "What I'd do...? By space, I'd be in heaven!" she replied excitedly. "I'd ask her out! We'd go on lots of dates! See opera, concerts and ballet... She loves Tchaikovsky, by the way. I'd play Swan Lake and she'd dance..." She closed her eyes to see that graceful, lithe form and whispered, "Oh... how she could dance... it'll take your breath away..."

"Does she dance like Chloe?" wondered Ranka.

Her eyes flicked open and she stiffened in surprise. She replied carefully, "Yes."

"Wow... she must be quite the lady. How long have you liked her?"

"I've loved her since middle school."

"Really? And you haven't confessed?"

"Well... I want to... but..." She turned away.

"But?"

Robin let out a long sigh. "I don't know if she loves me back the same way."

Ranka matched her sigh. "I understand... I'm not sure if Sher-- my girlfriend loves me back the same way."

She looked at her incredulously. "Girlfriend? You mean she confessed to you?"

The singer's hand went to her heart. "Yes. We confessed to each other."

"Then... what's wrong?" asked the contralto in a confused voice.

Tears threatened to form again. Blinking, Ranka held them back. "I... I found out something about her that I didn't know before... She's done awful things in the past... And... and I'm doubting my own feelings. What if it's just a crush? How do I know I'm really in love?"

Robin leaned back on the bench and thought, "So that's why... this deep despair... If she doubts her feelings, it's no wonder why she feels lost." She cleared her throat and said calmly, "It's alright."

Ranka stared at her. "It is?"

She nodded. "I've doubted myself so many times. I've even cursed myself for having these feelings all these years, and yet... I still love her. There isn't a dream where she's not there by my side."

"You dream of her?"

Robin laughed lightly. "I daydream about the future. A dreamer like me has a more idealized view that true love lasts a lifetime. So I'd imagine what life would be like with her years from now."

A gleam shone in the singer's eyes. "Is that why you stare out of the window so much?"

Her cheeks flushed. "I do?"

Ranka giggled. "Yup. Especially in singing class. It really made me wonder why you're there if you're not paying attention."

"Oh, I am paying attention. It's just that I'm not training to be a singer. I'd like to be a composer or a conductor, so I just wanted some background knowledge about singing."

"Oh, I see."

"But there's one thing I know for sure. You have to accept your own feelings. Throughout his life, Tchaikovsky struggled with his."

"He did?!" exclaimed Ranka, her eyes widening with surprise.

Robin nodded. "There's a lot of evidence that he had gay feelings and even relationships with other men. At first, he wanted to conform to society's expectations, so he married. Unfortunately, it didn't last. Any children his wife had were from other men. Eventually, he accepted his sexuality."

Her hand covered her heart. "As for me, it took me several years to accept mine after I figured out that I loved another girl. For a long time, I thought that there was something wrong with me. But still... I couldn't help it. It was there. It was part of me. That part of me couldn't help falling in love with this wonderful girl. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that having these feelings isn't wrong."

The singer nodded. "I think I understand." She stood up. "Thanks for talking to me. It really helped. And... I'm sorry that I asked such embarrassing questions."

Robin stood up as well and hugged her. "Don't worry about it. Just take care of yourself, ok?"

"I will," replied Ranka as she drew back. "I'm going for a walk to think some more, so I'll see you at dinner."

"Alright. Later then."

Ranka walked back into the mansion. When she was gone, Robin sat down on the bench. As she stared at the clear blue sky, she hoped that she was able to help her conflicted friend.

* * *

For the next few days, Ranka thought about what Robin said. "I know I love her. Even now, I want to see her." Then the image of Sheryl and Sharin flashed in her mind. Her heart wrenched at the sight. "But can I love her after all that she's done?"

She bit her lip and wondered what Sheryl was doing. Hope should be with her. She reached out in the link and opened her mind to Hope's senses. The first thing that she saw was Sheryl shooting paint at a strange metallic ball. Another ball flew behind the Galaxy Fairy and she kicked it.

Ranka closed the link. She had never seen Sheryl so violent. Her thoughts went back to the videos and she wondered if Sheryl was still hiding her violent side.

The videos continued to plague her thoughts and distracted her in various ways: missing a verse in singing, lagging in dance and forgetting her lines in acting. By Wednesday, Megan detained her in piano class.

"What's wrong, Ranka? You're not performing as well as before," said her teacher with a tone of concern.

"I'm sorry to worry you, Megan. It's just that... I have some personal issues that I need to deal with."

"Even so, that's no excuse," said Megan sternly. "If you performed like that in concert, you'd disappoint your fans."

Ranka stared at her and protested, "But I'm not in concert."

"I know that. But you have to be ready to perform anytime. A professional gives 100%, regardless of his or her emotional state. I want you to know that I don't want to hear what I heard today on Friday's recital."

Ranka wrung her fingers. Since Monday, she found it difficult to concentrate in class. "I'm sorry... I know that I'm behind, but I'll do what I can."

"I should've talked to you earlier. There's only one day left to catch up. But even if you work at it, it wouldn't make a difference if you can't express it properly."

"I'll practice all night if I have to!" cried Ranka.

Megan gazed at her directly. "So... do you think that you can fix all your shortcomings by Friday?" When Ranka did not answer, she continued, "If you can't control that, why not work on something you can control?"

"Control what?"

"Your emotions. I've watched you these past two weeks. It's going to be difficult for you since you're the type of musician that performs from the heart. You have to separate your negative emotions from your playing and singing. This exercise isn't about skill. It's about soul. Please show me that you can do it by Friday."

Ranka left the class with a heavy heart. It felt as if the whole world was against her. Then she felt someone hold her hand. She turned and saw Ai.

The Vajra did not say anything, but her presence spoke volumes. Without entering the link, Ranka knew what Ai wanted to say: You're not alone.

She squeezed her hand. "Thank you... and... I'm sorry."

"Is ok," replied Ai.

* * *

The next day, Megan brought two boxes that were marked 'A' and 'B' to the piano class. She placed them on her desk.

"Since there's quite a range of skill in this class, I've prepared simpler pieces in box A. Box B contains more advanced pieces. When it's your turn, I'll tell you which box to pick from based on my assessment. However... if you disagree with my decision, feel free to pick from the other box. The difficulty level will not affect my grading criteria."

Megan picked up a sheet and showed it to the class. "Each sheet has a number. That number indicates the piece that you'll play. I'll list them on the screen when everyone has their numbers. So please line up and pick from a box. "

Chairs scrapped and feet shuffled over the hardwood floor as everyone lined up. When it was Ranka's turn, Megan said, "Box A."

The green-haired girl's shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment. She had hoped to be ranked for box B. Her depression had taken its toll. She sighed and reached into the box. Her paper was marked with the number 3.

When everyone had chosen, Megan turned on the overhead screen. There was a collective jumble of gasps, groans and cheers from the class. With a nervous heart, Ranka read the piece for number 3: Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2, Mvmt. 1. To her right, Robin gasped. She glanced at her friend.

The contralto's hands were trembling. Ranka wondered if Robin picked a really difficult piece since Megan told her to pick from box B. "What did you get?"

"Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto no. 2 in G Major, op. 44, Mvmt. 2," replied Robin.

"Is that hard?"

"No... no... I can handle it... I think... But I have to get it right... I have to practice soon..."

Ranka was surprised at the panic in her voice. Robin was one of the best players in their class. She clasped the contralto's hand. "Calm down... I've heard you play Rachmaninoff. If that's not hard, I don't know what is."

"But it's Tchaikovsky! It's important that I do my best!"

* * *

After dinner, they practiced their pieces. Ranka had never seen Robin so worried and it showed in her playing. She was making more mistakes than usual. As she wondered what to do to help the contralto, her phone belched and wiggled. She answered it.

"Ranka, you have a visitor. Klan Klein is here to see you. She's waiting at the orchard's overlook."

"What does she want?"

"She'd like to talk to you."

"Thank you. Tell her that I'll be right over. Bye." She hung up. "Robin, someone's come to see me. I'll be right back, ok?"

Robin mumbled incomprehensively as she practiced several triads. Ranka took that as a response. With Ai in tow, she walked to the overlook. At the foot of the stairs, she stopped and covered her mouth to suppress a scream. Meanwhile, her hair spiked out awkwardly in all directions.

Klan smiled wryly at her reaction. "Sorry if I surprised you. I thought you wouldn't be shocked to see a macronized meltran."

In macronized form, the giant meltran stood from the road below and her face was about the same height as the overlook. It was a cloudy night and dim light of the moon did little to alleviate the extra large gaze of her green eyes set against her huge shadowy face.

"Who's your friend?" asked Klan softly.

This close, the meltran's mere whisper sounded loud in her ears. "This is Ai-chan. Last time you saw her, she was just a larvae."

Klan's eyes literally grew wide as platters. "She's Vajra? But how come she looks so human?"

"The queen modified her third stage so that she looks human. But Dr. Jenus says that she's Vajra inside." Ai certainly proved it during her fight with the escaped convict.

"Deculture! These aliens are really something," remarked Klan. "Maybe you can tell me more next time. Tonight, I've come on a special mission."

"What kind of a mission?"

"Sheryl's at the War Academy right now. She's training very hard for a certain someone."

Ranka flushed. "Did she tell you?"

Klan nodded. "Yes. And she also told me that she hasn't been able to talk to you since Friday."

She turned away. "I had things to think about."

"Are you going to abandon her?"

Her head whipped towards Klan. "No! I just... I just need to put some distance..."

"Why?"

"Because... I'm not sure about my feelings for her." She wrung her hands. "And I'm not sure she's serious either."

"She's training day and night for you. I think she's pretty damn serious."

"But... how will I know if our love will last?"

"Listen, I talked to her before the battle. I asked her why she was pushing herself so hard despite her illness. And you know what she said?"

"What?"

"That she wanted to sing in order to help Alto because he made her a promise." Klan chuckled. "I thought that fly boy finally made up his mind, but I was wrong."

"What did he promise?"

"He promised to bring you back. Sheryl asked him to."

Her hand rose to her chest. Underneath her clothes, she could feel the starfire ring. "She did? But how did you find out?"

"Well, he was pretty reckless during the battle. So when I found him flying around the War Academy, I caught him and asked him why he flew like a maniac and almost got himself killed. That's when he told me about the promise."

Ranka had to smile at the idea of Alto being plucked out of the sky by the giant meltran. Klan's eyes softened and she continued.

"Sheryl must've changed his mind somehow. A few days before the battle, I told him that he should tell Sheryl his feelings. I didn't want him to end up like me. By the time I decided to deal with my feelings, it was too late. Michel was gone. But it wasn't too late for him. So I tried to convince him to deal with it before the battle. Anyway, enough about me. The bottom line is, even though you were her rival, Sheryl wanted you back."

For several seconds, Ranka was silent as her heart swelled with joy. However, Klan's revelation bothered her. "Klan, what did you mean when you said that Sheryl changed Alto's mind? Did he already plan to do something else?"

The smile melted from the meltran's face. She looked away as if she hesitated to answer.

Ranka took a step forward. "Please... tell me."

Klan looked at her from the corner of her eye. She said softly, "When we were talking before the battle, I could tell that he was worried about the future of the colony. He wanted to protect it. And so, if you were really a tool of the Vajra, he'd choose to protect the colony and destroy the enemy."

At the word destroy, Ranka paled and goosebumps broke out along her arms. What was he planning to do before Sheryl changed his mind? Fear rose within her heart and she tried not to imagine the implications of that word. But her memories were already replaying the past. In her mind, she saw him firing missiles at the queen from Galia IV despite her objections. Even before she left for the Vajra homeworld, she realized that he was not interested in her. It was inevitable that he would choose to protect the colony instead of saving one person. Desperately, she cleared her thoughts. Alto was a very good friend and she wanted to hold on to their friendship.

There was a whirring noise from above and Klan looked up. A large transport descended and dropped a rope ladder next to the meltran. "My ride's here. I've got to go. Pilot camp ends around 3 PM tomorrow. I'm sure that Sheryl would love to see you. I've come all this way to tell you all this, so promise me that you'll go and talk to her. Your brother knows where it is."

The green-haired girl bowed deeply in respect and gratitude. "I will. Thank you for visiting. Good night."

"Good night." Klan grabbed the ladder and climbed up.

Ranka and Ai walked back to the mansion. They found Robin still practicing intensely. For their practice sessions, one of them would play while the other followed along with the score. Then they would give each other feedback. Ranka picked up her digipad and viewed the concerto. After several minutes, she was surprised at how agitated Robin was. The contralto usually played through a page and made notes at the end. This time, she was fussing over minute nuances of expression every five to ten measures.

Finally, Ranka could not stand seeing how distressed her friend was. She walked behind her quietly and hugged her. The contralto stiffened.

"Wha...? Ranka?"

"It's alright," she consoled. "You don't have to be so strict. Relax. Let the music flow."

"But it's Tchaikovsky! I have to make it as perfect as possible!"

Ranka was puzzled. Why was Robin so worried about playing Tchaikovsky? Her mind reviewed the conversation yesterday. A sly smile slid on her face when she realized why. She assured her, "Don't worry so much. You don't have to be perfect. Just imagine that it's like one of our sessions with Brera and play like that." With a glint in her eye, she added, "Besides, as long as it's you, I think she'll enjoy it. So relax, ok?"

"That's so easy to say, but I don't want her to think I play carelessly. She really loves Tchaikovsky and I..." Then Robin's mouth hung ajar. She turned to face her. "How did you know...?"

She responded casually, "Megan really likes your playing. I doubt you'll disappoint her." Based on the contralto's reaction, her love interest was also in camp. She had a good guess on who it was, but rather than embarrass Robin, she offered her a misunderstanding.

Relief filled Robin's face. "Oh... yes... of course. I musn't disappoint Megan. I'll do my best to play for her."

The green-haired girl smiled warmly. She pointed to a measure. "Now then, you were trying to play fast on this passage, but you forgot to check the notation."

"Ah! That's right! I was careless..."

"It's ok. Calm down and take your time to enjoy the piece. It's quite beautiful. So just play it, and leave the careless note taking to me. I'll let you know after you play to the end."

Panic ebbed from her face and was replaced with a relieved smile. "Thank you."

* * *

Friday came too soon. Ranka performed as well as she could. Eventually, she faced her final test: the piano recital. She approached the bench while trying to calm her nervousness.

Before she played it, she read its history. The piece was popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata. When she played it through yesterday, she thought that it was a sad piece that portrayed Beethoven's breakup with his lover. But the more she practiced, the more she thought otherwise. It was an introspective piece, as if Beethoven was thinking about something. At the end, the notes were less tremulous than the first set of measures. It seemed that the composer had resolved what was in his mind. She wondered if she could do the same. Her mind went through the week's events. She remembered Robin's explanation about her feelings.

As her hands touched the keyboard, she thought, "If I can't trust my own feelings, then how can I trust Sheryl?" She drew a deep breath. "But first, I have to get through this and give it my all."

Megan sat patiently as she watched Ranka. Like most students, the green-haired girl was nervous and it showed when she opened the score. Her student positioned her hands and struck the first triad.

"Can you do it? Can you be a professional and give your audience what they want?" Megan asked silently. She leaned back, closed her eyes and listened.

After the first minute, it was obvious that her playing still had that same sad tone since last Monday. Despite her warning, Ranka did not separate her emotions from the piece. Megan shook her head in disappointment. She hoped that by clearing her mind of emotions, Ranka would be able to play more freely.

However, halfway through the piece, the notes struck with a subtle clarity and the sadness gave way to an unusual calm as if a storm had lifted. Megan leaned forward as she listened more carefully. The tension from the first half was slowly released as if Ranka was unraveling that melancholic beginning.

In the last few measures before the end, most students played the bass notes with a sense of foreboding despair, as if the musician had lost something that could never be found. But when Ranka played the bass notes, the piano resounded with the quiet declaration of resolution, signaling the end of the turbulent beginning. Her emotions did not hamper the expression of the piece. Instead of rejecting her emotions, Ranka accepted them and melded with the piece which resulted in a moving interpretation.

Finally, her performance ended with a delicate decrescendo and the last note was a gentle pianissimo, like the whisper of a mother who consoled her crying child. Unconciously, Megan sighed in response, feeling relief at its conclusion. Only then did she realize what she had done.

When Ranka bowed, the audience responded with generous clapping. Megan noted the audience's reactions and clapped along with them. "Bravo, Ranka," she praised softly. "It looks like you got over your hurdle."

* * *

Darting around the maze of students waiting near the stage to do his or her recital, Ranka found Brera. Before she could call a cab, she needed to know where to go. "Onii-chan, where can I find Ozma-nii?"

Her brother looked at her directly. "Are you going to see her?"

She breathed deeply and gathered her determination. Defiantly, she returned his gaze. "Yes. Are you going to stop me?"

"No," replied Brera. "I'll take you there."

Ranka stepped back in surprise. "But I thought... you didn't like Sheryl?"

"I like her. She's a good friend."

"Then why..."

He cut her off. "Meet me at the overlook." Then he shoved his sheet music in a folder and walked away briskly.

Ranka and Ai went to the overlook as quickly as possible. Brera was already there with his hand gliding over his head. The quarter-meltran looked up and saw his valkyrie descending.

"Is it ok if you use this?" asked Ranka.

"It's fine. I need to run diagnostics every now and then."

His reason sounded suspicious, but she did not complain. They flew away from the mansion and towards south of the city. Brera landed on an airbase. They got out and located a Mihoshi instructor. Brera asked where Ozma and Sheryl were.

"Last I saw, they were talking out in Moffett field," said the instructor.

Her brother knew where Moffett field was, so she followed him. While walking, she heard faint singing. Her heart skipped a beat in realization.

"Sheryl!"

"Where?" asked Brera.

Ranka concentrated and began to walk. "She's... she's not over there! She's somewhere else!"

A chill emanated from her belly. Sheryl was in trouble. She followed her flow sense and ran, ignoring the stares of other people. Then she saw her falling from the sky. Her hand reached out as if it tried to stay her fall.

"Sheryl!" she screamed in desperation.

A red blur flew to the Galaxy Fairy and caught her. Tears flooded Ranka's eyes with relief. She continued her race to her beloved. From the red trim of the other pilot's flight suit, she thought that it was Alto. However, when she got close enough, she noticed the red ponytail dangling from the helmet. It was Tadyana.

They landed near her brother and Luca who were standing by a strange machine. After Sheryl landed, her sky blue eyes widened in surprise. Meanwhile, Ranka's heart skipped a beat when she saw the large red stains on Sheryl's body suit.

"Sheryl! Are you wounded?" Ranka touched the stain.

"No," said Sheryl. She looked away.

Luca sprayed the stains with a white mist from a can. "It's from practice bullets," explained Luca. He patted the suit with his hand. "See? This stuff dries it and it dusts..."

Ranka did not wait for him to finish and hugged Sheryl. "You dummy! I was worried about you!"

"You were?" exclaimed Sheryl.

"Yes! If your friend didn't catch you, what would've happened!? You pushed yourself again, didn't you?"

Sheryl paused. "Then... you're not mad at me?"

"I... I was a little bit... I'm sorry I didn't answer! But I promise, I'll never doubt you again!"

"I'm sorry too... I... I failed you..."

Confused, Ranka drew back. "What do you mean?"

"I... made a bet with Ozma... and I..."

Her stomach sank. "What did you bet?"

Sheryl looked away and whispered, "For permission to date you."

She stared at her brother. "Ozma-nii...?"

"She didn't win," said Ozma.

"It was a draw," explained Luca. "She fired before Major Lee's bullets hit, so her hits counted. The rules state that the winner must survive after all the bullets hit. Since both combatants received fatal hits, the duel is a draw."

"If Nome didn't win, she said that she'd quit school and never see you again," said Ozma.

"No..." Her heart grew cold and she walked towards him on trembling legs. "No... You can't make her... you can't!" When her brother remained silent, she clenched her hands and spoke with all the spite at her disposal. "I hate you."

Ozma matched her stare. "You're saying that even after everything you know?"

She stared back in determination. "Yes." She held his gaze until he looked away.

"I didn't win either."

Her voice rose with hope. "Then... she doesn't have to quit?"

"Actually..." said Luca.

Ozma interrupted, "One year! She can date you for one year! After that, she fights me again after next boot camp."

He turned to Sheryl. "But no Vajra! It'll be just you and me, Skull-1 vs. Phoenix-5. We'll decide once and for all then. I took it easy on you today, but next time, I won't! So you better level up!"

Ranka's heart flooded with relief. With a half-run, she threw herself at the Galaxy Fairy and hugged her. She felt her Fairy lift her slightly and they spun around with joy.

Then she looked up and wove her hand around Sheryl's neck for a kiss.

Sheryl's panicked voice filled her mind. "Not here... we're in plain sight of a lot of people."

"I don't mind," replied Ranka.

"I do." An arm slipped behind the Cinderella's knees and they flew into the sky.

Ranka waited impatiently before asking, "Is this good enough?"

Sheryl's visor retracted into her helmet and she smiled warmly. "Yes."

The quarter-meltran closed the distance and claimed her Fairy's lips. With every kiss they shared, she tried to tell her beloved how much she missed her and how sorry she was for shutting her out all week. When she drew back, she hoped that it was not too late to save their relationship. The Galaxy Fairy was crying and so was she.

"We hurt each other," she thought as she brushed the Fairy's tears away. "I'm so sorry. From now on, I'll do my best. I'll never make my girlfriend cry again."

On this day, Ozma gave his permission. She wanted to celebrate this moment in Macross style. Calming herself, she cleared her throat and sang into the sky.

_Zoom, zoom... Zoom, zoom.  
My girlfriend is~~~ a pi~~~lot..._

* * *

Music References:  
Lacrimosa - piano arrangement performed by Maria Yudina. Available on youtube. Use the keywords: Maria Yudina plays Mozart Lacrimosa.

Moonlight Sonata - performed by Maria Yudina. Listen up to time 6:42. The rest is the 2nd movement. Available on youtube. Use the keywords: Maria Yudina plays Beethoven Sonata No. 14 , Op. 27, No. 2 Moonlight. In the search list, pick the Adagio version with time of 8:22. There are many renditions of Moonlight Sonata out there, but this version is closest to Ranka's playing.

* * *

Author's Notes:

With this chapter, FG: Serenade has caught up with the events of FG: Wings. This is the first time I've tried writing two fics that interleaved with each other. Was it clear? Was it confusing? Please feel free to leave any comments or feedback.

Sheryl and Ranka's story continues in Mvmt IV. Vorwarts (Forward, Onward)

Until next Deculture!


	4. Mvmt IV: Vorwarts

**Mvmt IV. Vorwarts (Forward, Onward)**

Pale, slender fingers caressed the sleeping Galaxy Fairy's cheek before interlacing her own fingers. Petite lips kissed her knuckles gently.

"I have to go, but I'll be back soon," whispered Ranka. She started to release their fingers but stopped when she felt resistance. Her eyes softened. "I have a friend who's helped me through camp. She's performing tonight, so I want to make sure that she's okay. I'll come back as soon as I can."

She planted a soft kiss on her beloved's lips. "I promise I'll be here when you wake up."

The green-haired girl felt Sheryl's fingers relax. She placed her hand on the bed and covered the Galaxy Fairy up to the nape of her neck with the blanket. Via the fold link, she sent a quick request to Hope who was sitting in the pet bed.

"Let me know if she wakes up, ok?"

Hope's antennae wiggled in affirmation. Treading softly on the hardwood floor, Ranka walked to the door and closed it quietly.

Outside, Brera was waiting for her in his car. They drove back to the mansion. When they got there, she called her costume assistant, Emma.

"Hi Emma, it's Ranka. Were you able to do it?"

"Yes. In fact, I'm with her right now. We're in Blooming Blossoms."

"I see. I'll be right over." Ranka hung up and giggled at the dressing room name. It would be quite fortuitous if Robin really bloomed tonight.

She went to the dressing room and greeted Emma and Robin.

"How do I look?" asked Robin worriedly. "Isn't this going over the top?"

"It's fine, Maestro," assured Ranka. "Remember, you have to look the part."

Robin nibbled on a fingertip and murmured, "I hope so."

"Please don't move," requested Emma as she moved the nibbled finger away from Robin's mouth. "I need to make some adjustments to your sleeves."

Ranka grinned cheerfully at the sight. Then she looked around the room discreetly. When she found Robin's score on a chair, she casually walked to the chair. Once she verified that Robin's attention was on Emma, she picked up the score and flipped to the first page. Her jaw dropped with surprise when she saw its contents. Silently, she regained her composure and nodded slightly with understanding. She took the stack of sticky notes from her pocket and peeled off the top one labeled with the word 'BREATHE'. She stuck it to the page quickly and returned the score to the chair.

The quarter-meltran turned to Robin and pretended to assess Emma's work. After a few minutes, she said with feigned reluctance, "I think I need to go now, before all the good seats are taken."

"Don't worry, Ranka," said Emma confidently. "I'll take care of her."

"Thanks, Emma!"

The green-haired girl hurried back to the auditorium and looked around for an available seat. A girl with wintergreen hair waved at her. Ranka smiled brightly and waved back. She walked over.

"Hi, Chloe!" greeted Ranka.

"Hi, Ranka." The dancer gestured to the seat next to her. "This one's free."

Ranka sat down. "Did you hear her play?" Chloe's face glowed with joy and at that moment, Ranka understood that Robin had played very well indeed.

"She was amazing," replied the Chloe with unmistakable awe. "In the past, she has a tendency to rush through the piece. She doesn't like being on stage too long. This time, I was really surprised to see her so relaxed." She closed her eyes as if she tried to recall her memories. "There was no rush at all. The notes were so clear and vivid. I can almost remember each one. I wish you were here to listen to her play. It was such an enchanting performance."

"It's okay," said Ranka cheerfully. "I'm sure she'll play it again if we ask her."

"Really? If she could continue to play like that, it'll be so great!" exclaimed Chloe with shining eyes.

The quarter-meltran giggled lightly over Chloe's reaction. She sounded like a fangirl. If all goes well, the dancer would be in for a treat.

Eventually, Robin's turn came. Chloe gasped at the contralto's entrance on the stage. Robin was dressed in a black formal dress coat with double tails and matching tapered slacks. She wore an ivory colored embroidered blouse and a silk scarf with gold highlights. Her usually spiky hair and bangs were styled back to reveal expressive brown eyes. Her freckles were hidden by a subtle application of make-up that also accentuated her cheeks. Emma did a great job. She glanced at Chloe. The dancer was staring at Robin intently. Ranka grinned with satisfaction.

Robin placed her score on the podium. The contralto's right arm trembled slightly. Ranka chanted silently, "You can do it, Robin!"

Her friend's left hand moved so slowly that Ranka feared that Robin was losing her nerve. Then the contralto turned the cover. Her body was still for a moment. When Ranka saw the subtle movement of Robin's shoulders and back, she knew that her message was received. It was up to Robin now.

She raised her baton and the orchestra prepared their instruments. When the baton fell, the strings began with long, slow legatos. After a few measures, the timpani drummed softly towards a crescendo. At the height of the crescendo, Robin's left hand hovered in the air and remained still for a brief pause. Then her hand swept down, thus releasing the tension from the crescendo like a wave breaking against a rocky beach. The conga drums joined in and were followed by a wood flute, infusing a sense of nature into the piece. The flute thrilled over the soft notes of the violins, forming an image of an eagle flying with joy against the wind in Ranka's mind.

The violins and violas played the main theme elegantly while the timpani and conga provided a background rhythm. However, the flute remained silent after its initial entry.

Ranka leaned back and closed her eyes. This was Robin's original composition. It was a gentle piece, full of hope. After about a minute, the timpani created a crescendo once more and the strings swelled from mezzo piano to forte. The tempo increased as the flute's high notes joined in and danced about the melody in a whimsical counterpoint. The feelings of hope gave way to delight with the return of the flute.

The momentum continued with excitement and warmth until the end, concluding in a gentle calm. By the time the notes decayed to a slow decrescendo, Ranka felt that she wanted to hear more and was disappointed that it ended already.

The quarter-meltran opened her eyes to see Robin turn to face the audience. She bowed awkwardly on the stage. For several moments, no one clapped. Then Chloe clapped. Everyone followed her lead. Ranka did more than clap. She stood up and the dancer did as well. Soon, all the students at the row where they were sitting gave a standing ovation. Like a ripple in a pond, other students stood up until almost half the audience was standing.

Robin's jaw dropped. From the side of the stage, Ken Adean, the composition instructor, made a gesture. She noticed him and turned to the orchestra. Her hands rose up to instruct them to stand. The surprised orchestra members hastily stood up to receive their applause.

* * *

After the recitals were over, Ranka asked Chloe, "So... what do you think of Robin's music?"

The dancer's face was unusually serene. "Finally... I finally heard all of it. After waiting for so long, I can hardly believe that she finished it."

Chloe's answer surprised her. "Really? How long has she been working on it?"

The dancer tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I think... since middle school. She's been toying with the melody since then." Chloe gazed at Ranka and smiled with gratitude. "I don't know what you did, but thank you for everything."

Ranka waved her hands to quell Chloe's misconception. "I didn't do much. We just practiced together. This is all her work."

"Even so, you were there for her and your friendship mattered. Besides, you left her some last minute advice, didn't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"After she opened the score, it seemed like she was reading something. You left a note, right?"

Ranka giggled. "Ok, ok... I did. But it wasn't much. I just reminded her to breathe. One deep breath before singing usually helps me calm my nerves. I thought that it might help her too."

Chloe giggled as well. "I think it did."  
"Anyway, did you like it?"

"Yes, of course!" Chloe closed her eyes. "To me, it sounded like a journey. There's a hesitant start and then, you take the first step. You keep moving forward and discover many things. Then you meet someone to share the journey with. Together, both of you travel farther and discover more. And together..."

The green-haired girl leaned forward, curious to hear her answer. "And...?"

Her pale emerald opened and a satisfied smiled graced the dancer's lips. "You find happiness."

"I felt something similar too... I felt hope in the beginning, and then a sense of discovery. But your interpretation is so much better."

"Thank you. And as promised, I'll dance for you."

"You promised?" repeated Ranka with confusion.

"Don't you remember? You complimented me on my dancing on the first day of class."

Her hand leapt to her mouth when she recalled the conversation. "Oh! Then... then this was the song?"

Chloe nodded. "At that time, it wasn't complete. It was just snatches of short tunes. That's why I couldn't dance it. But now..." Joy filled the dancer's face and her hands lifted to her chest. "Now, I can dance it to my heart's content."

The dancer stood up. "I'm sorry. I need to get something from the dressing room."

Ranka felt that something was about to happen and stood as well. "I'll come with you."

Chloe protested at first and then relented. They went to a dressing room where Chloe opened a locker and took a bouquet of flowers.

The dancer blushed. "Just in case... to celebrate her performance."

The green-haired girl smiled with approval. "She'll love it! Let's go find her!"

They left the dressing room and with a short search, saw Robin with Mr. Adean.

"I'm sorry, I can't give this to you. Please let me send you an electronic copy instead," said Robin.

Mr. Adean insisted, "I want paper copies of all the scores. Just give it to me."

Robin opened her mouth as if she was about to argue but closed it when her eyes noticed them. She handed her score to Mr. Adean who added it to a pile. When he yelled out to ask the composition students to submit their scores, Robin walked over to them.

Chloe met Robin halfway and offered the bouquet. "For you. Congratulations."

The contralto colored visibly. "Thank you," she replied softly, but her face shone with gratitude and gentle warmth. "Did you like it?"

"Yes, I did. I really liked it."

Stealthily, Ranka moved away from them and hid behind some nearby sound equipment. To her surprise, Chloe did not tell Robin what she really thought about the piece. Instead, the dancer became unusually shy and the two girls exchanged brief compliments about their performances or made comments about other students. Ranka was about to give up and walk away when Chloe cleared her throat and asked an interesting question.

"There's a new Italian restaurant that opened near Mihoshi. Would you like to try it out?"

Robin bowed her head and placed a hand over her stomach. "Err... I don't think I can. My stomach's feeling queasy right now... so I doubt that I'll have much of an appetite."

"Oh. Maybe some other time then," said Chloe, obviously disappointed.

Ranka smacked her forehead lightly with her palm and sighed in exasperation. Chloe was right. Robin needed to grow a spine in more ways than one. She felt the urge to intervene and to salvage her friend's lost opportunity. Just then, her phone belched and squirmed. Ranka reached into her pocket to acknowledge the alarm. It was time to go home to her beloved.

* * *

Meanwhile, a Mihoshi student waited for Mr. Adean to leave the stack of scores alone. When the instructor left the classroom, he went to the desk and searched through the scores until he found the one by Robin Guvriel. He looked around and slipped it under his jacket. Then he hurriedly walked away.

He entered an empty music room and took the score out. He thought, "If I just change a couple of measures, I can pass it off as mine."

Gleefully, he opened the score to the first page. His eyebrows knitted in confusion. He turned the page and then another, and then another. After he flipped through all the pages, the score dropped to the floor with the first page open. He stared at the page while the page stared back with its blank simplicity and a sticky note with the word 'BREATHE'.

With a thud, he fell to his knees. "How in space was she able to conduct?!"

* * *

As promised, Brera helped her pack and they left the mansion ahead of the other students. He drove back to Cathy's mansion. Cathy was already there and had exchanged her dignified blue dress suit with a more relaxed and pastel colored casual blouse and skirt.

"Hi Ranka," greeted the lady president.

"Good evening, Cathy," replied Ranka.

Cathy's eyes noted the luggage. "Would you like to stay tonight?"

Ranka blushed slightly. "Um... yes... If it's ok. My brothers and I had a fight."

Cathy's eyebrows arched in surprise and she stared at Brera who stood behind Ranka with luggage in his hands. His face looked emotionless, but his eyes dropped with a tinge of guilt. A smile of understanding formed on her lips. "Of course. Please make yourself at home. It's almost time for dinner. Let's go upstairs and you can put your luggage away."

"Oh, that's ok. You don't have to come with me. I already know where Sheryl's room is."

The taller woman grinned wryly. Intentionally, she did not mention the guest room to gauge Ranka's true intentions. "In that case, please join me for dinner after you call your brother and tell him that you'll be staying here tonight."

When Ranka's eyes darted towards her brother, Cathy crossed her arms and added firmly, "Ozma needs to hear it from you."

Ranka grimaced visibly. She hoped that Brera would tell Ozma. "Yes, I'll call him." She bowed in gratitude. "Thank you for letting me stay."

Cathy nodded and walked away. Ranka pulled on her rollaway luggage and hurried to Sheryl's room. She entered quietly and went to the bed. The Galaxy Fairy was still sound asleep. She leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"I'm home."

Ranka left the room and closed the door behind her. She turned to her brother who had placed Ai's luggage by the door. She took out her phone and with a deep breath, called Ozma.

Ozma was obviously against it. "Aren't you moving a little too fast?"

"You already gave permission," argued Ranka. "Why can't I stay with her over the weekend?"

"What if she..." Ozma's voice trailed off.

"She what?" challenged the quarter-meltran.

"Never mind. I'm coming over." The salamander phone belched a hard click.

When Ranka warned Cathy about Ozma's impending visit, Cathy's face grew stern.

"I'll handle it," said the taller woman.

When Ozma arrived, Cathy told Ranka not to greet him. Instead, she met him and they went into the sitting room. Curious, Ranka crept closer to the room but stopped when she felt Brera's hand on her shoulder.

Brera flicked his metallic beetle into the air. The beetle flew towards the sitting room. "We'll use this and your phone."

Ranka handed her phone over. Her phone grabbed the cable with its little paws and swallowed it. Cathy and Ozma's voices came from the speakers.

"...only 16! She shouldn't be doing... ya know... that stuff... She's too young!" argued Ozma.

"I don't remember that mattering to you when I was 16," replied Cathy coolly.

"But... I mean... It's different..." mumbled Ozma.

"How?" challenged Cathy.

"They're both girls," argued Ozma stubbornly.

"Great galaxies! This again! How many times do I have to tell you..."

Ranka listened quietly and marveled at Cathy's persuasive arguments. Finally, Ozma was convinced.

"Ok, ok! I get it! But tell her to leave the door open! And no funny business!" conceded Ozma with a tone of a whipped dog.

"Very well. The door stays open, but I can't guarantee anything else. I'm not a dictator."

"Sure feels like one..." muttered Ozma under his breath.

"Did you say something?" asked Cathy icily.

"Nuthin'."

There was the sound of shuffling and footsteps. Ranka and Brera hid. Ozma walked to the main door and said his goodbyes. Cathy waved in farewell.

"I should go too. Call me when you need anything," said Brera as he disconnected the phone and gave it back. "Good night."

"Good night."

After Brera left, Ranka joined Cathy for dinner. Even though the food was delicious, she did not have much of an appetite and quickly finished her meal. Wishing Cathy good night, she prepared for bed.

Carefully, she crept beside Sheryl. She snuggled close and kissed her cheek. "Good night, my sweet Fairy." The Cinderella laid her head on her Fairy's shoulder and closed her eyes.

She sat in front of the mirror in her St. Maria's uniform. She picked up a makeup brush...

* * *

"WAKE NOW!"

The green-haired girl's eyes flicked open as Ai's voice boomed in the link. Given her habit of oversleeping, the Vajra was a useful alarm clock.

"I'm awake," replied Ranka as her eyes wandered to the clock. 7:30 AM. Carefully, she got out of bed and freshened up in the bathroom. She wanted to be ready when Sheryl woke up.

She returned to her place in bed and gazed at the Fairy's sleeping face. Sheryl looked so angelic while she slept. Ranka leaned in and kissed her cheek before snuggling close to wait.

Around 9'oclock, Sheryl stirred. Like a cat waiting for a mouse, Ranka waited excitedly for her eyes to open. Soon, pale blue eyes peered out of narrow slits.

"Good morning," whispered Ranka in her most seductive voice.

To her disappointment, those light sapphire pupils hid under eyelids once more. Ranka sighed and resumed her vigil.

A few seconds later, the Fairy's eyes snapped open.

"R-ranka...?" came Sheryl's bewildered voice.

"Good morning!" repeated the Cinderella again, this time with a more cheerful tone.

The Galaxy Fairy looked around before rising on an elbow. "What are you doing here? This is my room, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"But... how did I get here? I was at the airbase..."

The green-haired girl leaned in and kissed her nose playfully. "You silly... You fell asleep in the locker room."

"I did?!" exclaimed Sheryl.

Ranka nodded. "Your teammates tried to wake you up, but you were too sleepy. So they had to gather your stuff and carry you to your butler's car. When we got here, Ai-chan and the maids carried you to your room. And then I asked Cathy to let me stay to make sure that you're ok."

"Then that means... last night... we slept together..." Sky blue eyes widened in alarm. "You shouldn't be here! What if Ozma finds out? What if he changes his mind? You're going to get in---"

A slender finger silenced the Fairy's panic. "Shhh... it's fine. He gave his permission. I'm staying with you over the weekend."

Sheryl gently moved her finger and kissed it. "Aren't you pushing it? He just gave us permission yesterday."

"It's ok." Then Ranka's eyes narrowed and her voice filled with anger. "Besides, it's payback for doing mean things to you and me. I don't want to see my brothers right now."

Under the covers, her hand found Sheryl's. She whispered gently, "And... I also want some time to talk to you... about the past week."

Sheryl's eyes began to brim with tears. "I'm sorry! I did something, didn't I? What was it? Tell me and I'll make it up to you!"

Ranka hugged her and stroked her back to calm her down. "Not right now. I'm not prepared to deal with it when you just woke up. Maybe after we relax a little and get some breakfast."

On the Cinderella's shoulder, the Galaxy Fairy sniffed and mumbled, "So it's ok that we're together like this?"

Instead of answering, Ranka kissed her. She offered a gentle kiss to assure the troubled Fairy. Encouraged by the sweet kiss, Sheryl shifted closer and returned her passion.

Soon hands were wandering over nightgowns and legs interlaced with each other. Sheryl straddled Ranka's thigh and gasped at the contact. Her hand left the younger girl's waist and felt along her own.

"Uhh... Ranka... where's my underwear?"

The quarter-meltran grinned mischievously and her hand crept to Sheryl's abdomen. "While I gave you a sponge bath yesterday, I discovered this. I've never seen this before, so I didn't want to cover it up."

Sheryl gasped as fingers stroked across a crop of downy golden hair. Hastily, her hand caught Ranka's and pulled it away. "I... I didn't have time... I was training so much that I could just do a quick shower. But don't worry... I have a swimwear photo shoot in a couple of days, so I'm going to take care of it."

"You don't have to do that," said Ranka huskily as her hand escaped the Fairy's grasp and caressed that interesting spot. "I kinda like it. And just to be fair, I'm not wearing my underwear either."

For a few seconds, Sheryl stared at her incredulously. Then a wolfish grin formed on her face. "Who are you and what've you done to my innocent and naive Cinderella?"

"You took her and transformed her into this woman who loves you," replied Ranka with a wink.

Sheryl's face brightened with joy. She pushed Ranka onto her back and straddled her. She leaned in for a kiss. "How far am I allowed to go?"

"Not very far," warned Ranka. "Not when the door is open and we have a visitor."

Sky blue eyes widened in alarm and that golden-coral head whipped towards the door. At the threshold, Soffie stood with her mouth open and her hand poised near the door as if she was about to knock. With lightning speed, Sheryl grabbed the blanket and covered their scantily clad bodies.

Maid and girls stared at each other. Finally, Soffie broke the silence.

"F-forgive the intrusion, Miss! Breakfast is ready and Ma'am asked me to tell you."

Blushing under the blanket, Sheryl replied, "Thank you. We'll be down as soon as we can."

Soffie bowed slightly and hurriedly walked away. During that time, Ranka pulled the blanket and pushed it away from them.

"Where's my kiss?" she demanded.

Sheryl's mouth dropped open when she saw that Ranka was wearing one of her own nightgowns. The cut for the neckline was obviously too wide for her and exposed a pale shoulder. The semi-transparent silk did little to conceal her slender body. Over her heart, the starfire ring's glow pierced through the thin cloth. The Fairy's heart filled with joy when she saw the token of her love.

Pale blue eyes wandered lower and noted that only the thin silk separated herself from the junction of the Cinderella's legs. Blood rushed to her abdomen at the thought of the feeling of the younger girl's skin against her in the absence of the intruding cloth.

The green-haired girl gently tugged on the Fairy's arm. "I'd prefer it if you warmed more than just that part. Your nightgown isn't exactly warm, you know, and my front is getting cold."

A daring smile formed on the Fairy's lips. She looked at those fiery irises and bent down to make her offering of warmth and love to her verdant-haired goddess. In response, the goddess wrapped her arms around her and pressed their bodies together.

They exchanged several kisses and left each other breathless. Sheryl whispered in Ranka's ear.

"Are you warm enough?"

Ranka relished the weight and feel of the Fairy's body against her. The nightgowns felt like they were not there and she could sense Sheryl's excitement on her skin. "Mmmm... very... I'm sorry to keep Cathy waiting. I just needed something to tide me over."

Sheryl playfully kissed her pert nose. "You can have more after breakfast. Let's go eat before Cathy thinks we're a bunch of irresponsible teenagers."

They dressed up and greeted Cathy who was watching the morning news on a wall panel monitor. Breakfast consisted with spinach or ham omelet, sweet potato pancakes, and O'Brien potatoes and served with brewed coffee or tea. The available pancake toppings were Mascarpone, maple or blueberry syrup and butter. For desert, they had a serving of sliced fruit.

After breakfast was done, Cathy stood up. "Now that we've eaten, it's time to take care of business. Please come with me."

They followed her to the sitting room. Cathy closed the door behind them before taking a seat in the leather armchair. She steepled her fingers and crossed her legs.

"Now then, what happened?"

For several seconds, both girls were silent. Then Ranka gathered her courage and told Cathy what happened on Friday. When she described the scene in the classroom, Sheryl protested.

"That's not true! That never happened!" cried the Galaxy Fairy.

"But onii-chan said that it was from his memories!"

"His memories of a skit," argued Sheryl darkly. "That was from a high school drama that never got approved for airing. And besides, I've been tutored ever since I started at Entertainment Universe. I've never been to middle school or high school before Mihoshi."

The quarter-meltran paled. It implied that other scene where Sheryl slapped Rica was just acting too. She wondered what else was not real.

"Then what about the time when you changed the key before Rica auditioned? Was that a drama too?"

This time, Sheryl looked apprehensive. She replied defensively, "It wasn't a drama, but I was getting back at her for messing up my music sheets!"

"Then it happened?"

"Yes, but I had good reason for doing it! She was sabotaging everybody!"

Ranka's eyes narrowed and she asked coldly, "Is that how you dealt with rivals?"

"But she started it! She was putting tacks in other people's shoes!"

"So you took revenge and put tacks in hers, right?"

"I didn't! I was tempted to, but I left her a note warning her that I know she's doing it and that she should stop!"

The quarter-meltran's voice rose. "But I saw you! Onii-chan had a video! You're lying---"

Cathy's voice cut through the air. "Girls! Calm down!"

Both of them closed their mouths and looked away from each other.

The taller woman spoke slowly and evenly, "One party is missing in this discussion. We should ask Brera to come here. I'll also call my most trusted cyberneticist to monitor him and verify that his memories were not altered."

When she heard the word 'altered', her verdant locks twitched up and she stared at Cathy. It did not occur to her that her brother's memories might have been altered. She stood up quickly. "I'll give him a call now."

Cathy nodded. "Please do."

Ranka called her brother while Cathy called the cyberneticist. Brera arrived first before the scientist who was a tall, distinguished gentleman with neat gray hair which streaked white at his temples.

Cathy introduced him. "This is Professor Alan Wyner, director of Cybernetics at Frontier University."  
Brera quickly understood and said flatly, "He doesn't have to be here. I won't change anything and my memories are unaltered."

"You may say that, but what if you can't tell if you've been tampered? Why not accept a validation scan? It's a heuristic algorithm and won't invade your privacy. It only takes about ten minutes," suggested Prof. Wyner.

Given his previous enslavement under Grace, the scientist made a logical argument. The cyborg sat down. "Ok."

Prof. Wyner opened his briefcase and prepared his equipment while Brera connected the interface cable to the jack behind his ear. The scan started and everyone waited anxiously. Finally, the scan finished and Prof. Wyner's monitor displayed a multitude of green indicators. He viewed various graphs and declared the result.

"Your memory cells were not altered."

Brera unplugged the cable and turned to Cathy. "I promise you that I won't interfere when I show you my memories."

"Very well," replied Cathy. She turned to the cyberneticist. "Thank you for coming Prof. Wyner."

"I'm happy to be of service, Madam President," said Prof. Wyner graciously.

After the cyberneticist left, Cathy told Brera what happened before he came.

"It's obvious to me that you purposely showed Ranka certain scenes to create a bad impression of Sheryl," said the taller woman. "I want you to replay everything that you showed on Friday." She turned to Sheryl. "Sheryl, this is probably going to make you mad, but I want you to watch for now. I don't want to get sidetracked by interruptions and end up missing something, ok?"

"Ok."

Brera connected to the TV. He replayed everything. At certain points, Sheryl began to protest angrily, but Cathy's warning reminded her of her promise. Meanwhile, Ranka looked away. She could not bear to watch it again.

When it was done, Sheryl shouted at Brera. "How dare you! These are lies!"

"They're not lies. The scenes are from my memories which have been validated."

"But you showed them out of order! I dare you to display the time and date for every scene!"

True enough, the timestamps verified Sheryl's argument. She pointed it out in another way for the shoe locker scenes.

"Zoom into that daily calendar. See the date? The clock shows that I was there at 8, but the day on the calendar is Wednesday, the 16th. Then Brera claims that Rica got there at 3, but the day on the calendar is Monday, the 14th." She stated sarcastically, "I have many talents, but time travel isn't one of them."

She explained the scene in the stage booth. "So the manager walks in and drops his lunch in the chair. Then I walk in later, right? But look at the chair. Where's his lunch? See the timestamps? He rearranged it again!"

Sky blue eyes pleaded with the Cinderella. "Don't you see? This isn't what happened and I had reasons for doing all those pranks."

"I understand..." said Ranka softly. "But what I don't understand is why you didn't ask the managers to help you instead of fighting with everyone."

Sheryl paled and she stared at the ground. "That's because... well... everyone was doing it anyway. I... I had to fight back or they'll pick on me!"

The quarter-meltran crossed her arms and spoke sternly. "Even if someone gets hurt?"

"Nobody really got hurt badly..."

"A broken hip isn't bad?"

"But she planted a trip wire on the stairs to my room and I twisted my ankle! She deserved that!"

Her voice rose in anger. "She got terminated! Did she deserve that too?"

Guilt filled the Galaxy Fairy's face. "No... She... she didn't deserve that." Tears brimmed in her eyes and she ran out of the room.

For several seconds, Ranka stood there in shock at Sheryl's reaction. In her desperate effort to uncover the Fairy's intentions and to disprove her own fears, she had unwittingly crossed a line. She turned towards the door and was about to go after Sheryl when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"She couldn't help it," said Cathy gently as she turned Ranka to face her. "Ever since she was orphaned, that's all she knew. How can she be compassionate and forgiving when there wasn't anyone around her who could show what it was?"

Ranka bowed her head in shame. "I... I wasn't fair to her, wasn't I?"

"Deep down, we both know she's got a good heart. Even though Grace was her guardian, that evil woman couldn't corrupt her heart. I believe that what she did back then, she did out of instinct and the need to survive."

Cathy's eyes softened. "People make mistakes. Your brothers did that recently, but that doesn't mean that they're bad people. Even though he's a soldier, Ozma values life and I can see that he taught you well. It's in everything you do. And I'm sure, Sheryl noticed it too. Right now, she's hurt because it's you. If she had that argument with anyone else, it wouldn't hurt so much."

The green-haired girl wiped away a tear. "I think I understand... I love Ozma-nii and it hurt that he did that to me. I wish he could've talked to me instead."

"In his way, he's worried about your future. For now, don't mind him and concentrate on Sheryl. I'll take care of him so it won't happen again."

She paused, remembering Sheryl's reaction. Ranka had reminded the Fairy of an unpleasant aspect of her past. Since Ranka mentioned the word terminated, Cathy realized why Sheryl looked so guilty. She debated whether to tell the younger girl, but decided not to. The Fairy had to choose whether to trust the Cinderella with her past. "Anyway, please be patient with Sheryl and listen to what she has to say. Try to not to say anything that you'll regret later."

Ranka sniffed and wiped the rest of her tears away. "I will. Thank you." With that, she ran out the door.

The lady president walked over to Brera. She smiled sweetly. "Thank you for cooperating."

Without a warning, she drove a left hook into his jaw. Brera lurched with the blow and landed on his behind. Shock and surprise etched on his face and his jaw throbbed painfully. The blow was delivered expertly on his actual zentran flesh. There was no doubt in his mind that she avoided his cyborg side purposely. Even though she had become president, her combat skill was still top-notch.

"Your sister will never hit you, so that was for her. Please think twice before going along with Ozma's schemes. When you're ready, my butler will show you out." Cathy turned on her heel and left.

His job was done. Without a word, Brera excused himself and left.

* * *

She hated the dark. It was lonely and cold. But right now, it was comforting in its emptiness. Often, she used to hide in the closet after her mother scolded her for climbing trees too high or swinging recklessly in the playground. In that closet, shut out from everything, she could forget what she did and her mother's scolding. At least, she tried to. Her throbbing behind would remind her.

Right now, it was not her behind that hurt. Sheryl huddled more closely at the far side of a guest room and hid her eyes between the crooks of her arms. She felt very small and alone.

There was a knock on the door. "Sheryl..."

Sheryl's head whipped up and she stared at the door. The Glass mansion had two floors worth of rooms. "How'd she find me so fast?" she thought.

"May I come in?" came the Cinderella's soft pleading voice.

Sheryl stared at the doorknob. It was not locked. If Ranka wanted to, she could enter at any time.

She was not sure what to do, so she just sat there huddled in the dark.

Meanwhile, Ranka knocked again. She realized the irony of the situation and thought wryly, "I guess this time, I'm the one who's shut out."

However, she was not going to give up. She leaned against the door. "Sheryl... I'm sorry that I asked those questions. I guess... I just wanted to know the truth. You see, before the Vajra came, I didn't remember anything about my past. Ozma-nii knew, but he didn't say anything. He hid the truth from me. I don't blame him. He's worried that I can't handle it and he just wants to protect me. But even if it would hurt me, I think I'm better off knowing than not. Maybe, I could've figured out why the Vajra were attacking us. Maybe, we could've talked to the Vajra and the war would've ended sooner."

Her hand pressed over her heart. "Just this week, I realized how weak I am. My brothers showed me a side of you that I haven't seen and it really disturbed me. I doubted myself... and I doubted you. My heart wavers all the time and I lose confidence. I'm not strong like you are... but I want to be."

She clenched her hands into fists. "That's why, I've decided that I'm going to face the truth from now on, even if it hurts. If I don't know, then I won't understand. I didn't ask those questions to hurt you. I want to know more about the woman I love, so I can love all of her, good and bad. So when that day comes, that special day, I'll be strong enough to take care of you."

Closing her eyes, she remembered Cathy's advice before boot camp started. She hoped that Sheryl felt the same way. "And that's why I've decided to come here. I'll wait for you because this is where I belong." With that, Ranka sat by the door.

In the guest room, tears blurred Sheryl's vision. Her heart could hardly believe those words. A wish formed from the depths of her soul and her hand reached out towards the door. Emotion choked her throat which managed a whispering plea, "Ranka..."

Her breath shuddered and she was about to try once more when the door opened and Ranka rushed in to hug her tightly. Overcome with emotion and relief, she cried into her beloved's embrace.

They clung to each other, grateful for each other's presence. In that dim, quiet room, they only had each other.

Finally, Sheryl lifted her head from Ranka's bosom. Her Cinderella kissed the remaining tears away. She leaned into a pile of cushions and pulled the green-haired girl with her.

"Thank you."

Ranka caressed her cheek. "You don't have to thank me."

She gathered her courage. "It's a long story."

The younger girl intertwined their fingers. "Take your time."

Sheryl drew a deep breath. "There were five of us. We were all orphans about the same age. There were about two older girls but they were already idols and we didn't see them as much. Grace was sort of our guardian. She watched us like a hawk. I didn't understand it at the time and just thought that it was part of becoming idols. She gave us the best food, the best tutors, the best trainers and had doctors visit us twice a week for check ups. We learned together... played together. We were orphans, but we didn't feel like that. We all felt spoiled and special."

Sheryl stared as if she was looking at something far away. "Then three years ago, she told us that Myra, who was the Galaxy Fairy at that time, was retiring soon. One of us will become the new Galaxy Fairy. Everyone was excited, of course. She hired more trainers for singing and dancing. She kept us very busy with learning and auditions."

She looked away from Ranka. "And that was when Rica started sabotaging everyone. Brera only showed half of the kind of pranks she did. Pretty soon, everyone was doing it to each other." Her voice broke slightly when she admitted, "Even me... I wanted to be Galaxy Fairy. I wanted to stand in the light, not forgotten in an orphanage. That's why... I didn't stop... even after Rica was hospitalized after the accident."

She attempted to disentangle her fingers from Ranka's but the green-haired girl held on. Fiery irises watched her with warm compassion. Sheryl felt the fear in her heart melt with that tender gaze. She cleared her throat and continued. "Kate was never the same after she broke her hip. She tried to keep up with the work, but she kept getting sicker and thinner. Finally, Grace said that she had to rest and that a family was willing to adopt her."

Her hands trembled as she remembered the report on the Fairy Project. "But she lied. Kate wasn't adopted. She was taken away... so that none of us could see what was happening to her. Like you and me, she was infected with the V-type virus." When Ranka gasped, she nodded. "All of us were... even the older girls... even Myra. She didn't retire. She became too weak and was hospitalized. In Kate's case, her hip injury weakened her immune system. Between the drugs and the virus, her body was slowly worn down."

Tears brimmed in her pale blue eyes. "You're right. She didn't deserve that. Even though we were orphans, she deserved to live."

This time, Ranka gasped and her free hand leapt to her mouth. "She died? Grace didn't cure her?"

The Fairy's eyes widened in alarm. It was not her intention to mention that Kate died. But she was not careful and Ranka figured it out. A tear streaked down her cheek as she nodded her golden-coral head. "If only I didn't do it, she wouldn't have gotten hurt. Maybe, she could've lived long enough like me and gotten cured!"

"It's not too late! If your other friends are still in the orphanage, we can ask the queen to help them!" suggested Ranka.

Sheryl smiled slightly at her suggestion. Even now, the younger girl was trying to save people. She whispered, "Maybe..."

For a few seconds, Ranka did not say anything. Then her fingers tightened around hers. "They're not there anymore, are they?"

The words caught in Sheryl's throat. She could not answer.

Anger rose in the green-haired girl's voice. "Grace infected seven of you and then left your friends to die alone?"

"Ten," corrected Sheryl. "Kate was Fairy-10 and I'm Fairy-9. Grace abandoned me too after she became your manager."

Sorrow and guilt filled those red-orange eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't know! I should've been there for you!"

She stroked her cheek. "I didn't know either until Michel and Klan explained it to me. And remember, in the battle, you were there for me. Without you, I would've met the same fate. You gave me a chance by moving the virus from my brain to my abdomen."

Leaning forward, she kissed the younger girl's forehead. "Thank you for doing that. I had stopped taking the drugs that controlled the virus so that my voice would have more flow waves. The doctors told me that I only had a week or so left."

"Sheryl..." Tears streamed from Ranka's eyes. "You dummy! Why'd you do that?!"

Her voice rang with desperation. "I had to! If Grace was using you, then I had to do everything to get you back! I needed the power!"

"Even if you died?! What good is it to be rescued with you gone?"

Sheryl could not stand looking at those eyes. She mumbled, "You could be with Alto."

"He's not you."

Her heart leapt with joy at that simple declaration and her golden-coral head swiveled to meet the Cinderella's tender gaze. Slowly, their faces inched closer and their lips met in an assuring kiss that reflected the feelings in their hearts.

Giddy from the kiss, they held each other quietly in the dark. At that moment, the dark did not feel cold and lonely anymore.

They did not notice how long they sat there until the Galaxy Fairy shifted her hips and felt a tingling feeling in her legs. She wiggled her legs.

"I think... my legs fell asleep," whispered Sheryl.

The green-haired girl moved hers as well. "Mine too."

They both giggled at their predicament and took turns massaging each other's legs. As Ranka moved to get a better position, a metallic glint on the carpet caught her eye. A sliver of light cut through the curtains and reflected off a small object. She picked it up.

"It's your earring!" exclaimed Ranka as she offered it to Sheryl.

Sheryl's hands went up to her ears and felt her earlobes. The right one was missing. It must have slipped off when she stumbled into the room. A soft smile formed on her face. "Since you found it, you have to put it on."

"You're so spoiled." She winked and leaned over to reach her ear.

At first, Sheryl stiffened when Ranka said those words. When she realized that the younger girl was only teasing, she relaxed and let her attach the earring.

However, Ranka's words still bothered her. She did not want to be the person she was before she came to Frontier. "Ranka... tell me the truth... am I still spoiled?"

The green-haired girl did not bother to look up from massaging the Fairy's leg. "Do you want to be?"

"No."

"Then you're not," declared Ranka. Then she glanced at her with a glint of mischief in her eyes and grinned widely to reveal a short pointed canine. "But if you want to be spoiled, I'll spoil you."

Sheryl giggled lightly. "You shouldn't say that! I might get used to it!" She clasped her hands on her lap. "But joking aside, I want to change too. I admit, I liked it when Grace pampered us. It's hard to not want to be pampered, but I'll try to be more considerate of other people. Believe me, I don't want to do what I did to Kate again!"

"I know you're trying," said Ranka softly as she gently rubbed her muscles. "You watched over Nanase while I was gone and Elmo told me about the charity concerts that you did. He told me how much you cheered up the audience."

"I wish you could've taken that into consideration last week," said Sheryl sourly while pouting.

"Hey! My brothers confused the yakk out of me. My brain was stuck in a black hole and I didn't know what to do. Besides, I've never been in a relationship before! You're my first girlfriend."

Sky blue eyes softened and asked sincerely, "Is it ok if I'm also your last?"

Ranka's jaw dropped. A few moments later, she regained her composure and trapped the Fairy's face between her hands. She kissed her passionately and whispered her answer on the older girl's lips.

"You already are."

Sheryl pulled her Cinderella close and their lips renewed their promise of love.

After proper circulation returned, they tried to stand while leaning on each other. Hand in hand, they left the guest room and walked to the nearest bathroom to wash their tear-streaked faces.

When they were done, they met Cathy downstairs. The taller woman was dressed to go out.

"It looks like you worked things out," remarked Cathy.

"Yes, we did," replied Ranka still holding Sheryl's hand.

"I'm going out with Ozma, so don't wait for me for dinner." Cathy waved her goodbye and left.

They sat in the den and watched TV while snacking on strawberry pie made by Soffie. Time passed without their noticing and Soffie invited them for lunch.

After lunch, they went back to their room and lay in bed while sharing their last week of camp. Ranka slid down to Sheryl's chest and laid her head.

"It's not fair, you know," complained Sheryl. "Why can't you grow them faster? Aren't you part meltran?"

Ranka blushed. "I can't control that! Besides, didn't I level up to the next bra size!?" When the Fairy pouted, she slid down to her abdomen and parted her girlfriend's legs. "Fine... I'll just stay here instead."

"R-ranka!" cried Sheryl in a panic. "We can't do that here!"

The younger girl's hand rose up to caress her cheek. "Silly, I'm not going to do that, so get your mind out of the gutter. See? I'm just using your tummy as a pillow."

Sheryl swallowed nervously. Even so, her mind remained in the gutter as warmth gathered near her abdomen. She tried her best to keep her mind occupied. "So what happened after you talked to Klan?"

Ranka smiled sweetly and continued her story. Around 2 PM, Soffie announced that they had visitors. Even at the maid's presence, Ranka did not bother to move away from her resting place.

"Aris and Tadyana are here to see you, Miss," said a blushing Soffie who eyed them from the door.

"Thank you, I'll go see them," replied Sheryl. When the maid left, she chided Ranka playfully, "Look what you did. She's going to be emotionally scarred."

"I'm not doing anything naughty," replied Ranka smugly as she lifted herself off.

Sheryl met them at the front door and raised an eyebrow when she saw Tadyana's dress. She looked very feminine compared to Aris who wore a leather jacket and jeans. At the foot of the stairs, a Harley motorcycle was parked. She invited them in, but Aris declined.

"We just wanted to drop this off," said Aris as she handed Sheryl some photos.

"You printed them already!" exclaimed Sheryl excitedly.

"Yup! Aris is a photo buff! She's got all sorts of equipment," said Tadyana proudly.

Aris cleared her throat. "We also want you to come and celebrate passing camp. You were knocked out yesterday, so the captain decided to postpone it until today. Everyone's in except for you. Eriko suggested that we meet at 3:30." She winked. "She also said that you could bring your girl."

"Wait just a second," said Sheryl. She turned around. "Want to go out, Ranka?"

"Sure," replied Ranka as she walked down the stairs.

"Ranka's ok with it, so we'll go."

Tadyana whistled. "Girl, you move fast." Then she smirked. "I guess you slept well last night."

Sheryl matched her smirk. "Very. So where should we meet?"

Aris handed her a slip of paper. "Castro Theatre. Here's the address. See you there!"

"Later!" Sheryl waved. She watched as Aris got on the bike first and then Tadyana sat behind her, sitting sideways. The red-haired girl hugged the biker around her waist and with a burst of raw horsepower, the couple roared out of the Glass driveway.

"Are those the pictures from yesterday?" asked Ranka.

"Yes," replied Sheryl. A nostalgic smile formed on her face as she flipped through them. Camp was hard work, but every person on the team was grinning happily for all she was worth. Her jaw dropped when she saw a picture of her and Ranka kissing in the sky. The picture flew away.

"I want this one," declared Ranka smugly with the picture between her fingers.

"Hey!" protested Sheryl as the younger girl sprinted away with her trophy.

The Fairy chased her through the mansion and caught her in one of the guest rooms on the second floor. She pinned her on the bed.

"Now give it back!"

Red-orange irises pleaded, "May I keep it... please?"

Her heart melted at the sight and her grip weakened. The Cinderella's face brightened with joy and she rewarded the Fairy's generosity with a playful kiss.

Sheryl made a note to ask Aris for another copy. Before Ranka could ask for more, Sheryl scurried away to her bedroom. She went to the shelf and selected two empty picture frames. She picked one picture of her team and another of her landing with Ranka in her arms. Carefully, she put the pictures in the frames.

"That one's nice too," remarked Ranka as she looked over her shoulder.

The taller girl shielded the pictures. She protested, "But you already have that one!"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to take it," assured the quarter-meltran.

Still wary, Sheryl walked to her cabinet and placed the frames on top. It was so nice to have her own room. She could not do this in a hotel room. But even if she wanted to, she did not have any pictures worth framing.

Her eyes wandered over her collection so far: Ranka as Mao, a concert photo of Ranka, a lunch time photo of her, Ranka, Brera, Nanase, Luca and Alto, her mother and herself as a baby, Ranka and her standing on a grass covered hill after the battle, a group photo with the scientists and lastly, with Ranka, the queen, Ai and Hope. They were all memories made since she came to Frontier.

"What's wrong, Sheryl?" asked Ranka with a worried note in her voice.

Sheryl blinked back her tears. "Nothing... I was just reminiscing..." When Ranka stared at her with such adorable eyes as if pleading for a better explanation, she added, "I'm just happy, I guess. I feel like... I'm actually alive. Since I came to Frontier, my life changed. I've met you and so many people."

Ranka clasped her hand between hers. "Me too."

There would be no more empty hotel rooms. "After all those tours, I've finally stopped wandering. I want to settle down with you and show you my true self."

The Cinderella kissed her playfully. "Silly. You don't have to quote your song. Just tell me how you feel."

The Galaxy Fairy stared at her for a few moments before realizing what she meant. "Oh... I didn't mean to quote from Lion. It's really how I feel right now." Her eyes softened and she paused in thought. "Maybe... it's how I wanted to feel for a long time, but it only became reality just now."

Ranka hugged her tightly. "I want to settle down with you too. Here, on this planet, where it all begins for us."

Their faces inched closer and lips sought each other longingly. In a slow dance, they tumbled onto the bed and exchanged more passionate kisses. They would have continued their amorous affections but the sound of the grandfather clock in the hall caught their attention. It struck three.

Reluctantly, Ranka drew back. "We have to get ready."

Sheryl caught her in a kiss again. "Just a little more..."

Somehow, they managed to get ready and were driven to the theatre by Erenmeyer. Before they exited the car, they adjusted their disguises. The rest of the squadron was already there along with their significant others.

Eriko gestured to a tall young man with wavy brown hair. "This is my boyfriend, Lester Hayfield." She introduced everyone to him in turn.

"Umm... t-this is Akiha..." stuttered Kanagi.

"Nice to meet you," replied Akiha as she cheerfully clung to Kanagi's arm. Her long pink ponytail wound around Kanagi's neck and its ends swished against the half-meltran's skin.

Ranka giggled slightly at the sight. Like her, Akiha could control her hair.

Eriko cleared her throat. "I was thinking of hitting the arcade first, but I want to make sure we can get tickets for the dinner show."

"What show?" asked Sheryl.

"Comedy, singing, music and improv, Pink," replied Tadyana. "It's a really good trio. We watch the show and get dinner at the theatre."

"Sounds great!" exclaimed Ranka.

They bought their tickets for the 6 PM show and went to the arcade. There, they played against each other in racing games, shuffle puck and virtual valkyrie. Unlike racing and shuffle puck, virtual valkyrie rewarded the winner with tokens.

"Don't you get enough flying at school?" asked Ranka when Sheryl took a seat at the console.

"Not when you're playing for tokens," replied Sheryl. "Besides, don't you want that green salamander cushion?"

"It's ok, I can buy it myself."

"You don't have to if I win!" declared Sheryl with confidence.

Ranka giggled and watched in amusement as Sheryl was repeatedly shot down. Still, she refused to surrender.

"One more time!" cried Sheryl as she played against Kanagi, Aris and Akiha. "I just need to figure out these controls..."

The Cinderella turned away and amused herself with a simple game of Whack-a-Salamander. She managed to win two handfuls of tokens and returned to the virtual valkyrie consoles. To her surprise, Sheryl clutched a small bucket of tokens. Behind her, her teammates and Akiha stared at the Galaxy Fairy with wonder. As they counted their booty, Ranka overheard her teammate's whispers.

"How'd she improve so much?" whispered Kanagi.

"I heard that the commandant herself trained her," replied Aris in hushed tones.

"What? Really?" exclaimed Akiha.

Between them, they had enough for the cushion. Ranka hugged it happily when the clerk handed it to her. "Thanks, Sheryl!"

"Anything for you!" said Sheryl as she snaked an arm across her beloved's shoulders.

"That red one, please," pointed Tadyana as she offered a bucket of tokens. The tall redhead was on the basketball team. She probably milked the skeeball and Shoot the Hoop games dry.

The Fairy's jaw dropped when the vice-captain gleefully received a red salamander cushion. The vice-captain noticed her.

"What?" challenged Tadyana while blushing slightly as she hugged the cushion.

"Nothing," replied Sheryl with a sly smile. Her impression of Red changed. Meanwhile, Tadyana and Ranka acknowledged each other silently as those who adored salamanders.

"That makes a nice addition to her stuffed animal collection," said Aris.

"Aris!" yelled the further embarrassed redhead.

The silver-haired girl checked her watch. "It's almost time. Everyone gather around!"

They followed Aris to a photo sticker booth.

"She loves taking pictures of everything," explained Tadyana with a wide grin.

Aris flushed. "Not all the time," said the silver-haired girl defensively. "I just want a memento of this day."

They crammed into the photo booth and took several pictures. The booth printed a sheet of photo stickers for each of them.

"What can I do with these?" asked Sheryl.

Ranka pulled out her wallet. "You can put one here or on your phone." She peeled one off and stuck it on the inside of her wallet next to the sticker with Nanase. "I like to put them on my notebooks too."

Suddenly, Sheryl yanked on the younger girl's arm and drew her into a booth. Ranka understood and smiled at the camera. After they exited the booth, the Fairy fetched the stickers excitedly.

"Now we have one just with us!" declared Sheryl as she handed Ranka a page.

"Are you lovebirds done?" teased Tadyana. "We're going to be late!"

They both blushed and then giggled at their simultaneous reactions. Quickly, they joined the group for the dinner show. At the theatre, they were seated at a large round table and were served a choice of the steak or the chicken entree. After the meal, they had a choice of a slice of lemon or strawberry pie. Sheryl got the lemon pie while Ranka got the strawberry.

"This is really good, Ranka! Try some..." Sheryl scooped up some pie and offered it.

Ranka hesitated at first before accepting. She glanced quickly at their companions to see if they were staring at them. When they did not seem to care, she scooped up some strawberry pie and plucked up her courage.

"This is good too, Sheryl," said Ranka expectantly as she lifted her spoon.

The Fairy smiled and leaned towards the offered pie. When pie was safely devoured, she licked her lips. "Mmmm... I think I like this better."

"Sheryl and Ranka sitting in a tree... K-I-S-S-I-N-G..." came a whisper next to her.

"Red..." warned Sheryl in low tones.

Tadyana grinned in mischief. "Just don't be making out when they turn off the lights. We'd be too embarrassed to sit with you."  
Sheryl was about to yell at her, but Eriko's stern voice beat her to it. "That's enough, Red. If you keep acting like a jerk, they won't come with us anymore. Silver, keep an eye on her."

Aris put an arm around Tadyana and pulled the redhead towards her. She gave a mock salute. "Yes, captain."

When the lights dimmed, an attendant asked Sheryl and Ranka to take off their hats. In the link, Sheryl assured the younger girl as she took off her hat, "It should be ok. It's really dark."

The show delivered as promised and the audience gave a standing ovation. Out of habit, Sheryl put her hat on before standing. After the clapping subsided, the lights came on.

"Hey! Isn't that Ranka Lee?" exclaimed a man at a nearby table.

"Diamond formation!" commanded Eriko as she placed herself before Ranka. Lester followed her lead.

Tadyana pushed Sheryl and Ranka between herself and Aris while Kanagi and Akiha stood behind them. Like a wedge, they speared through the crowd until they got out of the theatre. Behind them, a twisted knot of people spilled out of the theatre. As they ran, Eriko gave more instructions.

"They'll be looking for a girl with green hair! Green, act as a decoy!"

"Roger!" Kanagi slowed down and Akiha did as well.

"Pink, make sure her hair's out of sight! We'll escort you till it's safe!"

"There she is!" yelled a man behind them.

"This way, Akiha!" Kanagi grabbed the pink-haired girl's hand and turned at the next street corner. A stampede of people followed them.

Eriko led them over several blocks before stopping in a laundromat. While they caught their breath, Lester walked up and down the street.

When he returned, he announced, "It's clear."

Tadyana laughed heartily. "Is it always like this with you two?"

Sheryl shrugged. "More or less."

"We should have more team outings together," remarked Aris.

"Yeah!" said Tadyana while Eriko simply shook her head.

After meeting up with Kanagi and Akiha, they said their goodbyes and each couple went their own way.

"I'm so sorry for being careless," said Ranka contritely as she pulled her hat lower.

Sheryl flashed a daring smile as they walked along the street. "It's ok. It makes it more exciting to be with you. Anyway, do you want to go home?"

Ranka wove her arm around Sheryl's. "Let's go window shopping!"

The Fairy's face brightened. She rarely got a chance to do shopping on her own. If she needed anything, Grace usually got it for her. "Ok!"

"Your team was pretty cool, by the way, when they got us out like that. Say, Sheryl... why do they call you Pink?"

Sheryl blushed to her ears. She wanted to make some excuse, but after what Ranka said that morning, she had to tell her the truth. So she did.

The quarter-meltran cruelly laughed into her hand. "You're Phoenix Pink?!"

The taller girl pouted and said sarcastically, "I'm sooo glad you like it."

"It's... it's just that... pink always gets into trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"In the shows that Nana-chan and I used to watch when we were kids... There are five members in a superhero team and each one has a color. The pink one is usually a girl and she gets captured or trapped and the other members have to save her."

"Great... I'm a plot device..." remarked Sheryl glumly.

Ranka's stopped laughing and squeezed the Fairy's hand contritely. "I'm sorry. You don't like pink."

"It's ok... I just thought I'd be gold or yellow."

The younger girl burst into laughter again.

Sheryl stared at her. "Don't tell me yellow isn't cool either!"

The green-haired girl grinned slyly. "Well... sometimes, yellow..."

"I don't need to know!" Determined to change the topic, she pointed to a lingerie shop. "Let's go in there!"

Ranka took one glance and stopped in her tracks. "Uhh... I don't think we should go in there. That's not really lingerie shop."

While Sheryl stared at the store display, a tall, dark skinned woman who was dressed in mostly leather with studs and spikes walked to the door. As she entered the shop, Sheryl noticed that she had a whip in her hand. The Fairy turned on her heel and protectively led the green-haired girl away from the suspicious store.

While they walked around, Sheryl noticed a lot of female couples holding hands, hugging and even kissing in public. "Ranka, what is this place?"

"This is the Castro, similar to the one in San Francisco. A lot of gay people live in this neighborhood. Did you know that San Francisco was one of the first cities to allow gay marriage?"

"Really?" Then a mischievous grin graced the Fairy's lips. She pulled her Cinderella close and dipped her for a kiss. In her mind, she could sense the younger girl's panic. To assure her, she caressed her lips tenderly. Eventually, her panic ebbed and her beloved returned her kiss.

The Fairy relaxed with relief at being able to express her affection in public. Then she realized why the captain suggested meeting here. She thanked her silently.

They looked where they wanted and kissed whenever the urge hit them. Eventually, their feet complained from all that walking and they went home. Their tired bodies yearned for rest and they prepared for bed.

"How about you shower first?" offered Sheryl.

Ranka squeezed her phone. "It's ok, you go ahead. I want to talk to Nana-chan."

Sheryl went to the bathroom that adjoined her room. She took off her clothes and slid the semi-transparent glass door to get into the shower. Steam built up as she enjoyed the feel of the warm drops against her skin. At the airbase, Aris only allowed ten-minute showers. When she refused to comply, the stronger meltran gave her a quick rinse and dragged her out.

She picked up a bath sponge and began to scrub her front. After that was done, her hand reached over her shoulder to scrub her back. Suddenly, the glass door slid open to reveal Ranka. Her jaw dropped as the younger girl stepped into the shower.

"Are you going scrub your back? I'll do it for you," said Ranka who plucked the sponge out of the Fairy's hand.

Unable to protest, she allowed the green-haired girl to wash her back. However, her girlfriend did not stop there. To her delight, she also washed her hair. The Fairy returned the favor in turn and bathed the younger girl.

When they were done, the Cinderella surprised her once more when she pushed her against the wall and silenced her gasp with a passionate kiss. Reluctantly, she broke away.

"R-ranka... this is Cathy's house..."

Fiery irises defied reason. "Just a little bit. Besides, the bathroom door is locked." Her hand slid down to her abdomen and played with wet golden down. Meanwhile, the younger girl's slim leg parted the Fairy's thighs. "We couldn't go very far at the Castro and I thought that I could wait until our next date." The starfire ring on her chest glowed brightly, casting a mischievous glint on her flame colored eyes. "But I couldn't. I want you right now."

Her Cinderella's boldness in expressing her desire filled the Galaxy Fairy with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Throwing caution into the wind, she surrendered to the younger girl's ministrations. The marble wall was cold against her back, but she promptly ignored it as pleasure welled within her. Soon, her body took control and she rocked against Ranka's thigh.

At the peak of her pleasure, she did her best to muffle her cries on her girlfriend's pale shoulder. Her Cinderella made a choking sound.

"Too tight," she rasped out.

Sheryl relaxed her embrace and the younger girl breathed easier. After she regained her senses, she changed places with her girlfriend to return her passion.

Meanwhile, Cathy was walking to the gazebo to enjoy some coffee and dessert. Usually, Ozma would share it with her, but he was called away for an emergency at the base. Feeling a little lonely, she decided to invite Sheryl and Ranka. She turned around and walked to Sheryl's room. Her door was open as agreed upon and the lights were on.

When no one answered her call, she walked in and heard the muffled sound of the shower. She was about to knock on the door when she heard several moans. Her cheeks flushed when her quick mind deduced what was going on. Quietly, she left and returned to the gazebo.

As she gazed at the moonlit flowers, she mused, "Ah... youth... It's summer, but it feels like spring."

Back in the shower, Ranka lay panting in the Fairy's arms. Her belly glowed faintly in the throes of her passion. Supple lips caressed her slender neck.

"Enough?" asked Sheryl seductively.

The younger girl noticed her wet, wrinkled fingertips. "For now... I guess I'll have to wait for more on a real date."

They dried themselves and dressed. Cuddled in each other's arms, they fell asleep, happy and content.

* * *

The next morning, Ranka did not get a chance to wake Sheryl.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" The Fairy leaned forward and planted a kiss on the younger girl's lips.

Ranka rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock. 8:16 AM. Her locks hung limply and she complained, "Sheryl... it's too early for a Sunday. And why are you up so early?"

"I guess I got used to the captain waking me up at dawn. Besides, I thought you'd perk up after seeing my dazzling face," said Sheryl in a tone of mock disappointment.

Her words brought a sweet smile on the Cinderella's lips. She pulled her Fairy down to lie beside her. "You have no idea how much I love seeing your face in the morning." Her lips caressed her girlfriend's cheeks, forehead and mouth. Then she closed her eyes and laid her head on her pillow.

Sheryl's hands crept to Ranka's waist and tickled her. "You're awake already, so no going back to sleep!"

Sunset-hued eyes opened and pleaded, "Just thirty more minutes..."

The Fairy's heart melted at the adorable sight. "Ok..."

The exchange was repeated again until Ranka finally got up at 9:06 AM. As they freshened up in the bathroom, Sheryl asked Ai in the link, "Ai-chan, is she always such a sleepyhead in the morning?"

"Yes. Sleep lots. I carry sometimes."

"I can hear you!" came Ranka's voice in the link. She was brushing her teeth while her eyebrows nit in irritation.

Sheryl giggled. She purposely did not shield her thoughts.

Aside from meals, they just lay around in bed and talked about their childhood for the rest of the day. They shared a simple joy of learning about each other and enjoying each other's company.

* * *

Next week, they resumed school. On Wednesday, Ranka met with Elmo at a nearby cafe during lunch break. She offered a booklet of sheet music and a data disk.

"Here it is as promised. My own song." She had been working on it from time to time. Boot camp really helped her in structuring the composition better. Yesterday, she finished the final tweaks.

Elmo leafed through the sheet music excitedly. When he got to the end, he exclaimed, "It's super duper wonderful! When can you start recording?"

"I can do a session this weekend," replied Ranka.

"Awesome! I'll schedule Saturday or Sunday. Give me until Friday to let you know when."

"Thanks! And I also want to ask you about making an album."

"An album? Of course!" He picked up the data disk. "Do you have more songs in here?"

Ranka shook her head. "No. It has a copy of my song. I want to work with a composer for my next batch of songs. I'm really grateful that you're willing to release my own song, but I know that my songwriting isn't that good yet. It took me a long time just to write my song. I'm hoping that working with a composer will get these songs out of my head sooner so I can sing right away!"

"Why didn't you say so? I know a lot of composers and songwriters who'd love to work with you."

"It's selfish of me, but I want to work with someone in particular, so I included a copy of her music on the data disk. I'd like you to meet her. Do you have some time this week?"

Elmo consulted his digipad. "Is lunch on Friday good?"

"That's fine. Thank you very much!" She grinned widely and looked forward to the release of her new songs.

* * *

Continued in Mvmt V. A Due Cantabile (Duet)

* * *

Music References:

An example of Robin's composition can be downloaded from my website.

* * *

Author's Note:

I apologize for the delay between Mvmt 3 and 4. I was going to be away during Thanksgiving weekend and was trying to upload as many chapters before I left.


	5. Mvmt V: A Due Cantabile

**Mvmt V. A Due Cantabile (Duet)**

On Thursday after class, Sheryl received a call from her manager.

"Sheryl, there's a rumor that Ranka Lee is going to release a single."

The Fairy's lips drew taut. Entertainment Universe often competed with Galaxy Records on the charts. "I understand. I'll send you some songs tonight."

"Good. There's some open timeslots at the studio this Sunday. I'd like you to come and meet with the producer."

"Alright. Send me the schedule."

"See you then. And don't forget to send me the songs."

"Of course. Goodbye." She hung up and pocketed the phone. With a burst of speed, she wheeled her way to the upper practice deck. The acrobatic team was preparing for their drills.

"Everyone double check their batteries before launch!" reminded Alto. When the door closed with a metallic clang, he turned in her direction and grinned widely. "Yo, Sheryl, you here to watch?"

She sighed. "Actually, I'm supposed to be here."

"Eh?!" exclaimed Alto in surprise. "What in space are you talking about?"

"Mr. Neumann said that I should train with you guys as a backup," explained Sheryl glumly. "With his recommendation, Mr. Bernard added me to the roster."

Luca checked his computer and paled. "She's right."

"What the...? This can't be happening!" Alto pulled out his phone and hurriedly punched in the director's number. "Hello, this is Saotome. Sheryl's here."

He walked away from the group. Sheryl strained to hear the conversation and heard a few sentences. "What? I don't think that's a good idea. But I'm the captain! Don't I have a say in this? Even if she's just backup, she's still a first-year. What talent? Have you ever seen her fly? Her scores were good? Are you sure? Ok, ok... She's in... for now. I have to see for myself. Yeah, yeah... Bye."

An annoyed expression marred his usually pretty face. He grumbled, "Bernard wants you to train with the team so that you'll be on it officially next year."

Luca's jaw dropped. When he regained his composure, he asked, "Alto, who'll be captain next year?"

Alto looked at him with pity. "You."

Luca bowed his head and held it between his hands. His worst fear had come true.

* * *

"No, I can't! What if I mess up? Your fans will hate you!" protested Robin.

"You can do it and you won't mess up! You've already proven it in camp!" argued Ranka.

"That... that was just, you know... private... We're talking about lots and lots of people! Everyone on the planet will hear it!" Robin spread her hands as if she were carrying the weight of the world.

"And why not? Your music is beautiful, Robin!"

The contralto stared at the composition that she was working on. "It's not... it still needs a lot of work. It's no good."

Without warning, Ranka yanked the composition and ripped it in two.

"Hey!" yelled Robin as she stood up with tears brimming in her eyes. "Why'd you do that?"

Ranka looked at her friend sadly and hugged her. "I'm sorry. Even though you said it wasn't good, it still hurt you when I tore it. You probably have it memorized, but you needed to write it down. That was your way of expressing your music. But is it really enough just write it and not perform for anyone? After camp, I don't think so. You didn't even have a score when you conducted your own piece, so I know you can perform from your heart. That's why; I want to give you a chance. Won't you make music with me?"

Robin pulled away from Ranka and stared at the torn sheets on the table for several seconds. Slowly, her hand moved the pieces of paper together until the torn edges matched like a jigsaw puzzle. Then she sat down and stared at it.

The quarter-meltran tried one more time. "After you finished conducting, one of my friends thought that it sounded like a journey. It's about being unsure of yourself and then gathering enough courage to start. It's about forging ahead and discovering life and along the way, discovering love. It's about traveling together and finding happiness."

Robin murmured softly, "Your friend understood that much?"

"Yes, but if you hadn't performed it that night, she wouldn't have understood. I thought you realized it before, so please remember what you said when you and I played with Brera."

The contralto lifted her face and her eyes looked far into the distance. "That music is meant to be shared..." She paused and asked, "Your friend... did she really like it?"

"Yes. She was very happy. Don't you see? Your music can convey your feelings and thoughts. If you don't show your music, how will she know?"

Robin looked at her suspiciously with narrowed eyes. "Why do I get the feeling that you know who I like?"

The quarter-meltran grimaced inwardly. In her effort to convince Robin, she had been careless. Drawing on her acting skills to salvage the situation, she inquired innocently, "Oh? It's someone I know?"

The contralto replied impatiently, "Yes, it's C---" Then she snapped her mouth so abruptly that her teeth clicked. She glared at Ranka for a few moments before speaking slowly as if she were restraining herself from yelling at her, "You almost had me fooled... Who would've thought that you could be so crafty? You almost made me tell!"

Ranka said placatingly, "I'm sorry. You don't need to tell me if you don't want to. But it doesn't matter whether I know or not. All I'm saying is that if you can't face her directly, then you should play your music. Let it reach her heart until the day she returns your feelings."

The contralto turned her face away. "It may never reach her."

At that moment, the sound of approaching footsteps caught their attention. In unison, they turned to face the newcomer.

Chloe waved. "Hi Ranka, Robin! Ranka, do you some time right now? I'm ready to show you my dance."

"Yes! I'd love to see it! Can Robin come too?"

"Sure!" replied Chloe brightly.

"Dance? What dance?" asked Robin in confusion.

The green-haired girl winked. "If you come, you'll find out."

The contralto looked hesitant at first and then scooped up her homework into her bag. They left the library and followed Chloe to the auditorium. They sat in the front row while the dancer went backstage to change. After a few minutes, Chloe appeared on stage in a white leotard. She closed her eyes and stood still in croise as if waiting for a cue.

The cue came when the long, slow legatos of Robin's composition played on the speakers around the stage. Immediately, the contralto's jaw dropped. A few moments later, she grabbed Ranka's arm while keeping her gaze on Chloe.

"Did you give it to her?" whispered Robin in a rushed, angry tone.

"No," replied Ranka softly and put a finger on her lips. "Shhh..."

Her classmate sat back sullenly into her seat. Silently, they watched the dance together. Chloe's choreography flowed well with rhythm of the piece. Ranka thought that the dance matched her impression of the piece perfectly. Chloe's movements drew her into the piece and she sat mesmerized until the music faded away.

The dancer's performance was awarded with generous clapping. From the corner of her eye, Ranka noticed the tears brimming in Robin's eyes. She remembered what the contralto said earlier in the library and remarked silently, "Perhaps, it already has."

They went onstage to congratulate Chloe. Just then, Ranka's phone belched.

"I'm sorry, it's Elmo. I have to take this call." With that she hurried away.

When Ranka left, Robin cleared her throat to ask the question that was bothering her. "So... where did you get the music?"

"The library. All the performances from camp are archived there now. I... uh... have to change. Do you mind waiting for me?"

"Ok."

They went to the backstage stairs and walked down. Suddenly, Chloe lurched sideways.

"Ah!"

Robin reacted by stepping ahead of the dancer and catching her. They fell backward and rolled down a few steps. A tall prop leaned over and hit the spotlight that illuminated the staircase. The area plunged into darkness.

"Ow..." winced Robin.

"Oh no! Where does it hurt?" cried Chloe as she lifted herself off from Robin.

"My back and my head," replied Robin as she rubbed the back of her head. "It doesn't feel that bad." She rose on an elbow.

"Why did you do this?"

"If you hurt your feet or legs, you wouldn't be able to dance. If something happened to me, I can still write music as long as my hands are ok."

Chloe placed a gentle hand on Robin's shoulder. She leaned over and planted a soft kiss on the contralto's cheek. "Thank you."

Robin's heart skipped a beat and she flushed to her ears. "I... I... should be the one thanking you."

"For what?"

"For dancing to my music." Robin leaned in to return the kiss and aimed for Chloe's cheek. To her horror, her lips landed on something else other than flat, smooth skin. She drew back when she realized what her lips had touched. "I... I'm..." she tried to apologize.

"What took you so long?" said Chloe whose aim was true because of better night vision provided by her meltran heritage. However, she did not know that the same was not true for humans and assumed that Robin could see as well as she could. She closed the distance between their faces.

Pain no longer registered in Robin's brain. Only Chloe, whose soft lips caressed hers, filled her thoughts and her heart. Her arms embraced the dancer's lithe body and held her tightly as if she wanted to confirm her presence.

Meanwhile, another girl with meltran genes watched them from behind dark stage curtains. Pert lips grinned widely until a pointed right canine appeared.

"Congratulations, Robin," said the quarter-meltran silently.

Ranka waited until they broke the kiss before stomping on the hardwood floor loudly. "Chloe! Robin! Are you still here?"

With all the acting skill at her disposal, she did her best to act alarmed at the accident. She called Ai and with Ai's help, they secured the prop back. The culprit for Chloe's fall was an unsecured wire that ran over the stairs. The wire was attached to the prop which caused it to lean and hit the light.

After a visit to the nurse who treated Robin's injuries, the three of them walked to the school gate. Once again, Ranka asked the contralto about the partnership.

Robin sighed in exasperation. "I give up. I'm still not sure if I'll be any good, but I'll work with you. However, I'll do it on one condition."

Ranka's heart beat excitedly. "What?"

The composer frowned and took out the torn sheets. "You have to redo this. It took me thirty minutes to write it down and I don't want to do it again."

The green-haired girl grabbed the sheets and slipped them into her bag. "Why don't you just use the digipad? You're so old fashioned sometimes."

Robin wiggled her fingers and argued, "You've got to feel the notes on paper! Besides, Mozart and Beethoven didn't have digipads!"

They stared at each other for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter.

* * *

On Friday after school, Sheryl hoped that the rumor was not true and asked Ranka for a weekend date while they waited for their rides. Her hopes were dashed. However, Ranka agreed to meet next weekend.

The next day, she and Erenmeyer left the mansion to practice driving in a specially modified car so that the butler could take control when he needed to. Driving was much different from flying and Sheryl felt that the car was barely moving.

"Please watch the speedometer, Miss, and slow down," reminded Erenmeyer once again.

Sheryl grumbled under her breath as she drove around the outskirts of the city. They passed by an old brick building when she caught a glimpse of verdant hair. Curious, she drove around the block and slowed down when they passed the building again. The tires screeched.

"Miss, it is customary to apply the brakes in front of the stop sign instead of the middle of the street," said Erenmeyer with a tone of miserable patience.

She peered through the sparse bushes that obscured a playground. Over the top of a bush, she saw it. "Erenmeyer, how about you teach me how to park?"

The butler sighed and he guided her to park on a block where there were no cars. When they were done, Sheryl grabbed her disguise and stepped out of the car.

"Where are you going, Miss?"

"Err... just taking a break. I want to stretch my legs. I'll be right back."

She walked to the building and spied from the bushes. The sight of Ranka holding one end of a jump rope and playing with half a dozen children rewarded her guess. She was about to call out to her when a tall girl with wavy blue hair walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulders. The Fairy's jaw dropped. Ranka gave the jump rope to a nearby child and went inside the building with the girl.

Jealousy rose in her heart and she was about to rush in when a woman spoke behind her.

"Oh, hello. Are you here to volunteer?"

Sheryl turned and saw a middle-aged nun in a white and black habit. She wondered what the nun meant by volunteer and decided to go along. "Uhh... yes, I am."

"Splendid! Please come this way."

She followed the nun into the building and entered a sitting room. The room was decorated with group pictures of children on its walls. The nun gestured to a chair.

"Please have a seat while I find the volunteer coordinator."

The Galaxy Fairy sat quietly while she examined the room. Judging from the pictures, the building was an orphanage. Under a nearby table, there was a half-empty box of flyers. She reached down and picked one to read. It was an ad for volunteers to help at the orphanage. She returned the flyer to the box and called Erenmeyer.

"Hi Erenmeyer. I'm sorry to run out on you but Ranka called and she needs some help. Can we practice next weekend?"

"Of course, Miss. When should I return for you?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. I'll give you a call."

"Very well. Please let me know."

"Thanks for the lesson. See you later!"

"Goodbye."

She hung up and waited. A few minutes later, the tall girl with wavy blue hair walked in. Jealousy boiled in her heart and Sheryl clenched her fists to restrain herself.

The girl extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Claudia. I'm the volunteer coordinator at St. Maria's Orphanage."

Sheryl shook her hand tighter than usual. "I'm Sh--- ahem... Sarah."

"Er... No need to be nervous. We're all laid back here. And thank you very much for coming. The bad news is that there's a lot of work to do. The good news is that you get to meet a celebrity."

As if on cue, Ranka walked in. Claudia introduced her. "Ranka, this is Sarah, our new volunteer. Sarah, this is Ranka Lee." The tall girl grinned proudly as if she was presenting a prize.

The Galaxy Fairy did her best to act her part. She clasped Ranka's hand as if she were an excited fan. "It's a pleasure to meet you! I love your songs!"

To her surprise, Ranka moved her hand slightly as if she just wanted to shake hers. Then she pulled away and put her hands behind her back. "Thank you. How did you hear about the orphanage?"

A feeling of disappointment welled in her heart. Ranka did not recognize her. Of course not. She was in disguise. Then she noticed that the green-haired girl was waiting for her response. She cleared her throat. "I... uh... saw a flyer."

Claudia turned to Ranka. "See, I told you it would work." She faced Sheryl and pointed to a wooden post on the wall. "You can hang your hat over there."

Sheryl pulled the hat down slightly. "I... uh... have bad hair today... and it's... uh... sticking up. So if you don't mind, I'd like to wear my hat."

"I understand. Follow me and I'll give you a quick tour."

While Claudia showed her the various rooms in the orphanage, the Fairy's mind returned to her original mission. What was her relationship to Ranka?

They entered a dirty room with peeling wallpaper. Ranka was applying glue to a wall.

"The west and south walls of this room were destroyed during the battle. It was repaired recently and we're putting up the wallpaper now. After that, we'll sand the floor and refinish it. We hope to have it done by next weekend so that we can celebrate a party."

"For what?" asked Sheryl.

Claudia pointed to a girl with pink hair who was drawing on the pavement at the playground. "For Mara. It's her birthday on Saturday."

Ranka came over with a roller. "Here's an extra one."

Claudia took the roller. "Have you ever wallpapered before?"

"No."

"It's not that hard."

They went to an unfinished corner and Claudia showed her how to wallpaper. Then the tall girl handed her the roller and watched her do it.

"Not bad," remarked Claudia as she surveyed her handiwork. "Just remember to align the wallpaper properly. If you have any questions, I'll be working over here." She picked up another roller and selected a bare wall to apply glue on.

After thirty minutes of working, Sheryl's arms were getting tired and her forehead was sweating from wearing a hat. Her glasses also fogged up from her exertions. With the back of her hand, she wiped off the extra sweat. Without her noticing, a hand landed on top of hers. Ranka stood behind her. The quarter-meltran's hand wrapped around hers and applied a gentle pressure.

"Press a little bit harder with the seam roller so that there won't be any air bubbles," explained Ranka. Then her voice whispered softly in the link, "You're wearing your contacts, right? You can take your glasses off. The hat should be enough."

"You recognized me?!" exclaimed Sheryl happily in the link.

"Silly... of course, I did."

"Then why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"Claudia doesn't need to know it's you."

She asked the question that was nagging her heart. "Do you like her?"

"I like her as a friend, so you can stop worrying now. However... she's had a crush on me since first year. She might touch me from time to time, so please don't get mad."

"What?! How can you let her do that?"

Ranka shrugged. "I already told her that I'm not interested, so she won't go too far. She's just being friendly."

Then she cleared her throat and guided the roller. "Just push the bubbles to the edge like this. That's good." She let go of the roller and stepped away.

Sheryl turned and removed her foggy disguise glasses. Her vision was much clearer now. "Thanks for the tip."

They worked for another hour before Claudia called for a break. They went down to the dining room for some lemonade and pie. While they ate, about half a dozen children came in.

"Ranka! Ranka! When will you sing?" asked a little boy.

Ranka ruffled his unruly hair. "After I'm done eating."

"Sing Interstellar Flight!" said a girl with curly black hair and brown skin.

"No! Sing Cat Diary!" demanded another girl.

More children came in and sat on the floor around the dining table. Claudia gave out little cups of lemonade and looked around.

"Where's Mara?"

"She's outside," replied one of the boys.

"Why don't you get her?"

The boy snorted. "She's not going to come. She only likes Sheryl Nome."

"Tell her I'll sing some of Sheryl's songs," said Ranka.

A collective groan rose from the children. A girl protested, "But we like your songs better! You take care of us!"

"I'll go get her," said Sheryl. In the link, Ranka thanked her. She walked out of the room and went to the playground. She found Mara swinging by herself.

"Hello, Mara. I'm Sarah. Claudia's serving lemonade and she was wondering if you wanted some."

Mara's face brightened up and she leapt off the swing. "Yes!" She ran halfway across the playground before stopping. "Is Ranka still there?"

Her behavior made Sheryl curious. "Yes."

Mara turned away from the door and crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. "I'm not going in!"

"Why?"

"'Cuz they'll say that Ranka's the best, but I know that Sheryl's the best!"

She understood. Mara did not want to be singled out. She put a hand on the little girl's shoulder gently. "I like Sheryl too."

Her small face brightened. "You do?"

She nodded. "Do you know some of her songs?"

"Only a little," admitted Mara sadly. "But I'm her biggest fan!" She lifted her pink hair. "I even have the same hair!"

This close, Sheryl realized that Mara's hair color was not natural. The blond hair was poorly dyed. Mara probably did it herself. She knelt in front of her. "It's nice. Anyway, how about we go inside and sing some of Sheryl's songs together?"

"Ok!"

Sheryl took Mara's hand and led her to the dining room. Ranka was already singing Cat Diary. They sat down and listened. When the Cinderella was done, Mara sprang up.

"Now it's our turn! Sis, can we sing 'What 'bout my Star'?"

Sheryl stood up as well. "Sure. I'll clap ten times and then we'll start, ok?"

"Ok!"

The Galaxy Fairy started the song with her usual concert intro by singing the phrase "What 'bout my star?" several times. Her vocals resonated in the dining room. Beside her, Mara was yelling.

_Baby, what do you want to do? I'm driving.  
My hands are on the handlebars and I'm standing by.  
Want my heart & want my love?  
NO!? Forget that, let's swing and KISS!_

Mara stopped singing when they reached the first stanza. The little girl just stared at her in wonder. Sheryl winked at her and continued.

_I say "NO" to a half-baked style.  
A LOVE that makes me soar is for me.  
Beautiful! Excuse me!  
If you wish for them, lalala, possiblities._

The Fairy started dancing in place. Already, all the boys were staring at her with their mouths open.

In the link, Ranka commented, "You tease..."

To tease her beloved more, the Galaxy Fairy swung her hips and beckoned with her hand in the Cinderella's direction.

_Let me know what you want, I would give you!  
How fantastic to be with you. My love!_

In her tight black shorts and purple tank top that exposed her well-toned abdomen, the Galaxy Fairy commanded attention. Ranka felt something dribble over her lip and realized that she was salivating. With a sweep of her tongue, she saved herself from embarrassment and swallowed. Her hands clenched as she fought the urge to walk over to the Fairy and dance with her. Eventually, she finished the song and all the children clapped.

"I guess Sheryl's not so bad," said one of the boys.

Meanwhile, Mara grinned proudly. "You were really good, Sis! You sound just like her!" Then she turned to the other children. "See? Sheryl's the best!"

"No, she's not! Ranka's way better!" said a little girl as she clung to Ranka's arm.

"But didn't you like her song?" argued Mara.

The boys looked confused. "Well... yeah..."

Sheryl cleared her throat. "I like Ranka too."

Mara turned to her with a stricken look on her face. "But you said you liked Sheryl!"

She patted Mara's head and smiled warmly. "I like Sheryl too. I think they're both the best. It's fine to like both."

Understanding flickered in Mara's eyes. "Oh... ok."

Claudia clapped. "Alright everybody! It's nap time! Everyone upstairs!"

The children groaned in protest, but they obediently followed Claudia and went upstairs. Meanwhile, Ranka walked over to Sheryl.

"Thanks for helping out. Mara's very stubborn sometimes."

"I'm glad," said Sheryl. "Do you usually volunteer here?"

"Yes, ever since I attended St. Maria's. Each student is required to do community service, so I help out here."

"Is it hard taking care of the kids?"

Ranka shook her head. "No. It's fine. Besides, I want to make a difference, even in a small way. If Ozma-nii didn't take me in... I don't think I'd be here right now. I didn't open up to him at first, but he kept trying to cheer me up. I want to do the same thing for these kids until they find a foster home."  
Sheryl squeezed her hand. "I see. That's kind of you." Then she paused as she remembered their date. "Is that why our date is on Sunday?"

The green-haired girl blushed slightly. "Yes. I want to help out for the party."

"Ok. I'll help too."

Her verdant locks bounced slightly. "Ah! You don't have to!"

"Don't forget... I was an orphan too. And besides, I get to be with you."

The Cinderella's eyes softened. "But we'll be working. It won't be much of a date."

"We don't have to be dating to enjoy each other's company," replied Sheryl with a wink.

Ranka hugged her. "You silly..."

A shuffle of feet caught their attention. Claudia stood at the doorway.

"You two seem to be getting along," said the tall girl evenly. "Let's get back to work."

In the link, Ranka commented, "I think you made her jealous."

"Me? You're the one that hugged me!"

They shared a moment of laughter and resumed their work.

* * *

On Monday, they had lunch together as usual with Nanase, Luca, Brera and Alto.

"So, how was your weekend?" asked Nanase.

"Sheryl and I wallpapered," replied Ranka.

Everyone stared at Sheryl incredulously and the Galaxy Fairy withstood his or her gaze. She flipped her hands palms up. "What are you looking at? I can get my hands dirty too!"

"Are you redecorating your room, Ranka?" inquired the artist.

The quarter-meltran shook her head. "Remember the orphanage I volunteer at? Their playroom was damaged during the battle. They want to hold a birthday party so we're trying to get it ready by Saturday afternoon."

"Do you need any help?" asked Luca.

"There's still a bit of wallpapering to do and we have to refinish the hardwood floor. We're going to go over there this Friday to finish it up."

"I think our maintenance guy has some equipment in his shed. I'll bring it," offered Luca.

"Oh, you don't have to do that!"

"It's ok. I'd like to help!"

"I'm not good with tools, but I can make a pinata for the kids," said Nanase.

"Why didn't you tell me, Ranka? I would've helped too," said Brera.

"But you and Ozma-nii were planning to watch a boxing match," said Ranka.

"I could've gone some other time. Birthdays only happen once a year. Count me in on Friday."

Everyone looked at Alto. He sighed and caved in to the pressure of their stares. "I guess I'll come too."

Friday came and they gathered at the orphanage. Claudia was obviously elated with the arrival of more help. Sheryl, Ranka, Brera and Luca worked on the room while Claudia, Alto and Nanase prepared decorations and baked the cake and pastries.

The room was refinished around 10 PM and they opened the windows to allow the finish to dry. Claudia beamed happily.

"Thank you, everyone! We only have to do some cooking and move the tables and chairs upstairs. How many of you can come at 9 tomorrow?"

Everyone except Alto would come. The actor made his excuse.

"I can't. I've got rehearsals."

"That's alright. You really helped a lot," said Claudia gratefully as she shook his hand. "Anyway, I'll see you all tomorrow! Goodnight!"

"Good night!"

* * *

The next day, Luca brought one more helper.

"Hi, everyone! This is my Mom, Mathea. She wants to help out with the cooking."

Mathea was a rotund woman with brown curly hair that was tied at the nape of her neck with a gold clasp. She bear-hugged each person as Luca introduced him or her.

"Is this your girlfriend, Luca?" asked Mathea hopefully as she hugged Sheryl.

"No, Mom. And this is Ranka," gestured Luca. His mother stared at her sadly. He noticed and added, "She's not her, either."

Nanase walked towards them with several bags full of long baguettes in her arms. Her head tilted to look at them from the side. "Good morning! The bakery had a sale today and I bought these at a good price!"

"Mom, this is my girlfriend, Nanase."

"Oh... She's rather small, dear... Is she Japanese?" asked Mathea in a disappointed tone.

"Yes. Here, let me get that for you, Nanase." Luca took the bags. Nanase's front came into view.

"Magnifico!" cried Mathea with joy and crushed Nanase against her great chest. "Welcome to the family!"

Ranka commented under her breath, "I think I know why Luca likes Nana-chan."

"Yeah, I think so too," agreed Sheryl.

With Mathea's help, they prepared an Italian style five-course meal. The children gazed in wonder at the festive food and took their seats excitedly.

"I like to cook, but I rarely get to do it at home," explained Mathea. "Our chefs feel bad when I do."

"I can understand why, Mrs. Angelloni. Your cooking is really good!" remarked Nanase as she sipped the zuppa toscana.

Mathea patted the artist's left hand. "You're a very nice girl, dear."

After eating, they ran a few games for the children including a pinata and musical chairs. When the games were done, Mara opened her presents. Her face glowed with joy when she got Sheryl's CD box set and a pad of stationary with a Galaxy Fairy theme.

"Thanks, Sis!" exclaimed Mara as she hugged Sheryl.

The party finished at 5 PM and they cleaned up. Claudia and the nuns shook their hands in turn.

"Thanks so much for helping out!" said Claudia. "This was the best party ever! Mara was so happy!"

"Ever since her parents died during the last battle, the poor child's kept to herself. I'm really glad that she's socializing more with the other children," said a nun.

At her words, Sheryl reached over and clasped Ranka's hand. The Cinderella might feel guilty about Mara and she wanted to reassure her that it was not her fault. Already, the quarter-meltran bowed her head and verdant locks hid her eyes.

To the Fairy's relief, another nun added, "I think each of you made a difference today. Her heart can begin to heal."

The Cinderella's tense fingers relaxed and she lifted her face. Sheryl squeezed gently to show her support.

After saying their goodbyes, Ranka took her luggage from Brera's car. She grinned widely at the Fairy. "Tonight and tomorrow, I'm yours."

Sheryl took her hand. "Let's go home."

* * *

After breakfast, they went to a spa. In addition to massages and facials, Sheryl ordered a manicure and pedicure combo. The survival test and flight instruction had ruined her nails so she wanted them treated before the next photo shoot.

They went to a fancy French restaurant for lunch. The Maitre d' greeted them in French.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle. Avez-vous une reservation?"

"Oui, pour deux personnes," replied Sheryl.

The Maitre d' opened a book. "Quel est le nom?"

"Nome."

After consulting the book, the Ma tre d' looked up and bowed graciously. "Suivez-moi, s-il vous plait."

In the link, Sheryl told Ranka, "Let's follow her."

They were seated in a private booth and the Maitre d' gave them menus. The menu was in French and ISAL or Interspecies Auxiliary Language. ISAL was the standardized language advocated by NUNS to facilitate communication between humans of different ethnics groups and zentraedi.

Ranka looked up from the menu. "I never knew that you spoke French so well."

"It's my first language. My father was French and my mother spoke French. I learned ISAL at the orphanage," explained Sheryl.

They ordered the chef's specials and were treated to culinary delights. By the time desert arrived, they barely had enough room for it. As they left the restaurant, Ranka yawned.

"I'm so full, I want to take a nap..." said the younger girl drowsily as she leaned on her girlfriend's arm.

Sheryl giggled as she opened the car's door. She smiled mischievously. "That can be arranged."

"But weren't you planning to go somewhere after this?" said Ranka as she entered the car.

The Fairy sat beside her and closed the door. "This is a day for us to relax. We don't have to follow the schedule."

Ranka leaned over and laid her head on her shoulder. She interlaced fingers with her beloved. "You're right. I'm just happy to be with you."

They went back to the Glass mansion and took a nap while cuddled in each other's arms. They woke up around 3:20 PM and went to the Protoculture lab. Dr. Jenus met them in the lobby.

"Both of you seemed refreshed," remarked Dr. Jenus in his usual grandfatherly tone.

Ranka blushed as Sheryl replied, "Yes. Is the shuttle still available?"

"Of course! We reserved it for you personally. Please follow me."

Dr. Jenus led them to a shuttle in the parking lot. He gave Sheryl the access keys. "Have a nice flight." With that, he left.

The shuttle door opened with a whoosh when Sheryl inserted a key. Ranka entered the shuttle and sat down.

When Sheryl closed the door, the younger girl asked, "Aren't we going to wait for the pilot?"

"Isn't there a beautiful one here?" winked Sheryl as she sat down on the pilot's seat.

Ranka's hand clasped over her mouth in surprise. "But... are you sure you're allowed to?"

The Galaxy Fairy reached into her purse and flipped her ID booklet. Under her school ID was an ID for a civilian pilot license that was issued by Frontier Aeronautic and Space Administration.

"I'm qualified for up to two engine ships," said Sheryl proudly.

The quarter-meltran gazed at the license in awe. "How'd you get this?"

"I applied for it along with my driver learning permit. After I passed a written test and submitted a recommendation from Mr. Bernard, FASA issued it." Although she had to agree to join the acrobatic team, the recommendation was worth it. She returned the booklet to her purse and put on her seatbelt. "I'm pretty confident about flying, but this is my maiden voyage. How about you sit here where I can see you and buckle up?" She patted the co-pilot's seat and Ranka moved to that seat.

While Ranka secured her seatbelt, the Galaxy Fairy started the engines. She ran diagnostics and checked her instruments. When the shuttle was ready, she opened a channel to request departure.

"This is Papa Lima Sierra six niner two two, belonging to Protoculture Labs. Reply to me, Frontier Control." In the past, air controller communications were developed in English on Earth. Space controller communications followed that tradition and were spoken in English instead of ISAL.

The speaker on the console burst to life, "PLS six niner two two, this is Frontier Control."

"Frontier Control, Papa Lima Sierra six niner two two request IFR to Queen's Crater at 650000, planning departure off runway zero three."

"Six Niner two two cleared to Queen's Crater via victor three one nine..."

The younger girl watched in wonder as her girlfriend communicated back and forth with Frontier Control in English. Since Sheryl did not identify herself, she thought that the controller did not know that the Fairy was piloting. However, her assumption was incorrect when she saw a message appear on the small monitor embedded in the console.

_Have a safe flight, Galaxy Fairy.  
-- Frontier Control_

"We're cleared," announced Sheryl as she closed the channel. Her hands gripped the controls. "Let's go!"

The engines hummed with power and they lifted off abruptly from the parking lot. Ranka gripped the armrests.

"Sorry about that," apologized Sheryl. "There's a bit of turbulence halfway, so I'll try to keep it steady. It might be helpful to get drone escorts once we're in Vajra airspace."

"Ok," replied Ranka. She closed her eyes and felt the location of the closest drone Vajra. She instructed them to wait near the Queen's Crater. "You planned this, didn't you?"

A daring smile flashed across Sheryl's face. "Of course. I had to file a flight plan." She stared into the sky. "Besides, it's been a while since we went there."

The Vajra escorts met them as planned and they ascended into orbit. Once in orbit, Sheryl flew to the Crystal Array that circled the planet. When they were close enough, she activated the autopilot to maintain the shuttle's position. They unbuckled their seatbelts and floated to the back room. There, they took out two space suits and wore the suits. When they were ready, they exited the shuttle and mounted a waiting Vajra. The Vajra flew them to the Array and they selected a comfortable place to sit.

Sheryl sat down first and Ranka sat in front of her. She leaned against the Fairy's front. Meanwhile, Sheryl's arms encircled the younger girl's waist. Then they closed their eyes and listened to the fold link.

They could hear the chirping of birds, the gentle splash of a running stream, the rumblings of a volcano, the crash of waves against a beach and many other sounds. It was as if the entire galaxy played an ensemble of sounds.

"Hear anything interesting?" whispered Sheryl.

"Dokun, dokun, dokun..." replied Ranka with a serene expression on her face. Her head had slipped down to the Fairy's chest.

Sheryl sighed. "Ranka, you could hear the entire galaxy from here. Can't you listen to me later?"

"But it's so clear up here," protested the younger girl. "It's proof that you're here with me and to hear it beat like this... even though we're not in bed... it makes me happy. I love it... your sound..."

"Really?" said Sheryl, hoping to hear more.

"When I heard your song for the first time, something awakened within me. I wanted to sing too. I listened to all your songs and bought all your posters." Her cheeks flushed as she remembered the day she bought the towel and slept with it for weeks. She admitted, "I just couldn't get enough of you."

"You made me want to sing too," said Sheryl. When Ranka looked up inquiringly, she continued, "When I first got here, I was on my way to becoming someone who only cared about her career and music. Then I heard your voice. I wondered what kind of person could have such a beautiful, pure voice. I wanted to hear more, so I tried to get you to sing."

Ranka's eyes widened when she remembered. "You told me that opportunity was just around the corner!"

Sheryl nodded and caressed her cheek in the link. "You were awesome in the Miss Macross competition. I loved every minute that you were on stage."

"But I didn't win," said Ranka sadly. "Did I disappoint you?"

"I was worried a bit. Grace wanted to go back to Galaxy and I tried to figure out how to give you another opportunity. But after I heard you sing at Folmo, I was glad that you haven't given up. You had a tough beginning with Elmo, but things picked up for you after you got Mao's role."

"It did." In the link, Ranka leaned in and kissed her lips tenderly. "Thank you for helping me decide."

The Fairy acted innocently. "What do you mean?"

The Cinderella pouted. "You kissed Alto to make me jealous, didn't you? You knew I was looking in your direction!"

Sheryl's eyes glanced away. "I was just... uh... teasing him..." When those red-orange eyes narrowed, she surrendered, "Ok, you got me..."

The Fairy's gaze landed on one of Frontier's moons. It reminded her of Galia 4. "After the movie, all I had to do was wait for you. When I got the job for Galia 4, I thought it was a chance to be next Minmay. As you know, it didn't work out as I expected. I got sick and you took the role."

When the younger girl opened her mouth to say something, she silenced her lips with a finger. "At first, I was jealous of you. I got sicker to the point that I was going to give up singing, but after I saw how much you worked to bring hope to Frontier, I wanted to do it too. Not for fame, but to help as well. When I saw you going crazy at the rooftop at Mihoshi, I couldn't stand it. I didn't want you to lose your pure song. So I'm sorry... I had to slap some sense into you."

She held Ranka's hands. "When you left was my lowest point. Like everyone, I felt betrayed. But still I felt that I could still do something... that I needed to do something. Even if my song could bring a little bit of hope, then my short life mattered. So you see, you taught me how to sing again. That's one of the reasons why you mean so much to me."

Tears formed in Ranka's eyes. "Oh, Sheryl..."

The Fairy's voice rose in alarm. "No, don't cry!"

Ranka tried to blink back her tears. "I can't help it..."

"You really mustn't cry right now!"

"But I---" Then the younger girl made a choking sound as she inhaled a teardrop up her nose.

Sheryl stood up and held her tightly. "Let's get back to the shuttle."

Ranka coughed a few times. Then she pursed her lips and sucked air through it. The droplets in her helmet collected on her lip. She licked them off. "It's fine... I think I got them all..."

"You silly girl..." The Fairy bent down to kiss her forehead but stopped when their helmets clanked together. "Ooops..."

"Now who's silly?"

"I'm not giving up yet!" In the link, Sheryl kissed her on the forehead.

"You're cheating," chided Ranka playfully and kissed her Fairy's lips.

Sheryl giggled and gazed at the luminescent structure. "Some say that the Vajra are just bugs with no technology or culture, but you and I know that they're wrong. They don't even realize that the Vajra's greatest masterpiece of science and art is right over their heads."

"One day, we'll make them understand," said Ranka hopefully as her gloved hand moved along one of the Array's long crystal beams. With its intricate crisscrossing patterns, it reminded her of a giant ice sculpture.

The Crystal Array was both a technological and artistic marvel. It amplified not only fold waves, but other signals as well. By focusing fold waves on a particular area of the Array, it was possible to detect and listen to those signals. Dr. Jenus and his team were still studying and cataloguing all the possible signals that could be detected. The scientists hypothesized that the Mother Queen used the array to monitor all the Vajra nests.

Special drone Vajra maintained the Array. To differentiate these Vajra from the fighter types, the scientists classified the special drones as builders. The builder Vajra had more eyes and more limbs. They detected breaks in Array and repaired them with a combination of internal energy bursts from their forelegs and excretions of an unknown white substance from their long tails.

They sat quietly in each other's arms and listened to the sounds of the galaxy. Each sound was proof that the galaxy was alive and they felt as if they could hear its heartbeat.

About ten minutes later, an unusual rumbling noise caught Ranka's attention. She opened her mind to the drone Vajra and asked it to look. What it found lit her imagination.

"Sheryl... I heard something interesting," said Ranka as she pulled the Galaxy Fairy to her feet.

"What is it?"

"I'll show you." The quarter-meltran led her to the drone Vajra and guided her to sit first. Then she sat in front of her and secured themselves with wire cable from their utility belts. "Hold on to me, ok?"

Sheryl wrapped her arms around Ranka's waist. "To the ends of the galaxy."

An amused smile formed on the younger girl's face when she recognized her concert phrase. "Hey! That's my line!"

"I'm just completing it!"

The Cinderella concentrated and commanded the Vajra to rise to folding altitude. When they were far enough, a fold gate opened and they entered. A brief moment later, they arrived at their destination.

The Fairy's eyes gazed in wonder at the sight before them. "A comet!"

"I heard it passing by," said Ranka. Her hand squeezed Sheryl's. "Your turn, Ms. Beautiful Pilot."

A daring smile formed on the cadet's face. She opened her mind and took control. The Vajra sped towards the comet. "How close do you want to be?"

"As close as you're comfortable with."

"Be careful what you ask for!" replied Sheryl as the Vajra dodged the comet's trailing debris. She probed the Vajra's senses and felt the pressure exerted by the comet's velocity on its carapace. Their approach would be easier if they avoided the high-pressure areas.

She guided the Vajra carefully until they landed on the comet itself. With her fingers held up in victory, she flashed a grin. "Welcome to Unknown Comet! Please watch out when opening overhead bins as items may have shifted during flight."

Ranka laughed at her pun. As they rode the comet, she sang Interstellar Flight.

_The water's surface quivers  
A ring of wind spreads  
Your fingertips feel the  
The blue current_

Sheryl sang the third stanza. Together, they alternated singing together.

_We're like fireworks  
Our hearts shot through with an arrow of light_

After Ranka sang that, the Fairy had a burst of inspiration. At the right moment, she commanded the Vajra to grab a clump of ice and snow and to fly ahead of the comet. Then she guided it to do several loops while slowly releasing the ice and snow.

Ride a shooting star You suddenly rise In a dark blue starlit sky We're like fireworks Our hearts shot through with an arrow of light

After Ranka sang the stanza, Sheryl moved the Vajra away from the comet. When the Cinderella stopped singing, she knew that her plan was a success.

"It's beautiful, Sheryl!" exclaimed Ranka. The ice and snow left a trail which formed the outline of two hearts next to each other. The comet passed through the center of the hearts. "We're really riding an arrow of light!"

They rode the comet once again and enjoyed the view of the universe before them. Ranka interlaced her fingers with her beloved.

"This is the best date so far," she whispered softly.

"I hope not. I still want to top it," said Sheryl confidently.

Ranka giggled and opened the link to kiss her Fairy. "I look forward to more. I love you."

Sheryl leaned over and whispered on the Cinderella's lips. "I love you too."

In the link, they exchanged fiery kisses that warmed them against the coldness of space.

"Aren't we supposed to look at the stars from here?" asked Sheryl between kisses.

"I am... There's a really bright one here," replied Ranka seductively. She captured the Fairy's lips in a tender embrace.

By the time they had enough, Sheryl's watch read 5:11 PM. "We have to return the shuttle," said Sheryl sadly.

As they descended from orbit, Ranka asked, "Can we make a short detour? I'd like to show you something."

"Sure," replied Sheryl with curiosity.

After landing the shuttle at the crater, they mounted a Vajra. The Vajra flew until it landed at a grass-covered meadow. Sheryl gasped when she saw it. "This looks like the one you showed me!"

The green-haired girl grinned widely as she helped the Fairy climb down. "Yes. I picked this place so that we can finish what we started."

"Finish what?"

Instead of answering, Ranka guided her down onto the soft golden grass. She straddled her and kissed her lips hungrily. Petite hands began to unbutton her blouse.

Between feverish kisses, they undressed each other. Sheryl shivered as a breeze cooled her front. As if she sensed her discomfort, Ranka shielded her with her own body. The Fairy gasped as the Cinderella's warm skin caressed hers.

"No one will interrupt us this time," whispered Ranka as she nibbled on Sheryl's earlobe.

Sheryl's head leaned aside as nimble lips found the crook of her neck. She moaned in delight as her girlfriend sucked gently at her sensitive spots. Those lips had wandered to almost every inch of her body, sucking, licking or tasting. Her skin tingled at the wake of those caresses.

The lips traveled lower until a kiss was planted on her chest. Verdant hair spread out and swished against her breasts. Aroused flesh stiffened in response and Sheryl breathed heavily at the delightful sensations.

When Ranka pressed her ear to her chest, she arched up slightly as if offering each excited heartbeat. Her hands wove over that verdant head for a light hug. The Fairy thought silently, "Hear it... it sings for you..."

A minute or so later, the younger girl lifted her head and kissed around the Fairy's navel. Meanwhile, a leg slipped between Sheryl's and parted them. Desire gathered at the junction of the cadet's thighs in anticipation.

Then Ranka's tongue slid down her abdomen and went lower and lower until it stopped at an inch before its destination. The Fairy whimpered in complaint and shifted her hips up.

Fiery irises looked up at Sheryl between spread legs. "Let's do it together."

Ranka rose and offered herself. Sheryl gaped in wonder at the prize before her before licking her lips excitedly. She put her hands on the Cinderella's hips and waited until her girlfriend began her ministrations. When she did, the Fairy leaned in to do her share.

Unlike before, it was so much more difficult to concentrate when pleasure welled between her thighs. She gasped uncontrollably as she performed her task and did her best to return what was given to her. Soon, the chill from the breeze was forgotten as their body temperatures rose with their rising passion.

The Fairy's cries grew louder and more frequent as she neared her peak. Then gentle prickles swished against the inside of her thighs. She opened her mind to her girlfriend.

"No... not yet... not until you're close..."

The prickles retreated. Sheryl labored away to bring her beloved to the edge. When Ranka's hips pressed towards her, she redoubled her efforts. The prickles returned and poised over her own need.

In the link, she entreated, "Aahhh... yessss... now..."

Her breath caught in her throat at the sensations of hundreds of prickles sliding against sensitive muscles. Not wanting to be outdone, her tongue stretched forth to do its duty. Then Ranka shuddered against her and her cries of passion caressed her ears.

Sheryl answered the younger girl's cries with her own as prickles pushed deeply against her aching need. She surrendered herself to the whirlwind of pleasure within her. When she leaned her head back, she could see the dull glow on Ranka's abdomen. A satisfied smirk formed on her lips.

After bathing in a nearby hot spring, they returned to the lab and thanked Dr. Jenus. After that, Erenmeyer drove them home for dinner. Cathy was already there. They greeted her at the door.

"How was your day?" asked Cathy while they ate dinner.

"Great!" replied Ranka. "How was yours, Cathy?"

"Good. The architects report that the city layout is ahead of schedule. By the way, since both of you are ambassadors to the Vajra, the government grants each of you a lot. You can meet with an advisor to plan your house."

"You mean... we can have a house?"

"Yes. Part of the deal of being colonists is that the government grants each family land and a building allowance on the planet. Since you're too young to legally own property, as your guardian, I can hold the lot in your name. Ranka, if you want to build sooner, Ozma can hold your lot."

"Isn't that great, Sheryl!?" bubbled Ranka with joy.

"Yes!" Sheryl gathered her courage and said casually, "It would be even better if you lived with me."

"Good point! We don't need two. Hmm... would you like one story or two stories?"

"One is fine." She cleared her throat and asked again to make sure. "So, it's okay if we live together?"

"Of course, it's okay. Why wouldn't it be? Anyway, can we have a garden out back? I'd like to try growing our own vegetables..."

While Ranka chatted away, Sheryl sat in bliss. Only when Soffie asked if she wanted more soup did she break out of her state.

* * *

On Monday next week, Ai brought more artwork home. Ranka helped her store it in the attic. Her artwork from camp was leaning against the wall and she bumped into it. The landscape with two suns fell to the floor upside down from her point of view. As she knelt down to pick it up, she noticed it.

The crystal formations and the cracks on them looked similar to the carvings on Mayan island. She fetched her camera and took pictures of Ai's landscapes. She sent the pictures to Dr. Jenus.

An hour later, Dr. Jenus called her. "Where did you get this?"

She explained Ai's paintings. The scientist sounded very excited.

"This is great news! It means that these Vajra live on planets that were once occupied by the Protoculture civilization! If you have time, can you and Ai come over to the lab? I might have some news to share with you as well."

They scheduled a meeting on the coming Sunday. When she hung up, Ranka patted Ai's head. "Looks like things are going to get interesting."

* * *

On Friday, Ozma announced that their lot was ready. Since he and Brera qualified for lots, they selected their locations so that the lots were next to each other. The resulting house would be bigger and have a large backyard.

On Saturday morning, they drove out of the city and entered the newly planned suburbs. Already, the roads were paved and some lots had some construction going on. They parked in front of a lot with a wooden frame already built. A man with a hardhat greeted them.

"Good morning. I'm Kent, your builder. Please wear these hats and I'll show you what we have so far." As they walked through the lot, he pointed out the rooms. "The living room is over here. This space over here is the two car garage..."

When they were about finished with the tour, a car pulled up near Ozma's. The driver's windshield lowered to reveal a waving Sheryl.

"Hey there!"

"Sheryl!" cried Ranka as she half-ran to the car. The Galaxy Fairy came out and hugged her. "What brings you here?"

"Driving lessons. Since this place opened up, Erenmeyer and I practice here."

"Ah! Ms. Nome! Since you and Ms. Lee are here, do you want to see your lot?" asked Kent.

At his question, the girls paled. Meanwhile, Ozma's eyebrows knitted together. He asked gruffly. "Whaddya mean their lot?"

Kent consulted his digipad. "Ms. Nome and Ms. Lee have a lot allocated in subdivision A."

Sheryl sighed and opened the link. "Looks like the cat's out of the bag. Want to go see it?"

Ranka replied, "Sure, why not? I'll explain it to Ozma-nii."

They followed Kent's car. After Sheryl made a really sharp turn that caused the car's wheels to screech, Ozma kept his distance. As he watched the car weave left and right, he decided.

"Ranka, I'll teach you how to drive!"

"Eh? It's ok, Ozma-nii. I don't..." protested Ranka.

"We'll start tomorrow!" There was no way he would let that brat drive his sweet sister. Ranka must not end up in her backseat.

They went up a hill and into a gated subdivision. In this subdivision, the lots were bigger. Kent parked in front of a lot that was twice as large as the one they had been to.

"I was told that it would be some time before you would occupy the residence, so we only did the foundation," explained Kent.

"Yes, that's alright," said Ranka as she squeezed Sheryl's hand. "We don't need it right now."

Kent pointed to sprayed lines on the cement. "We marked out the outline of the rooms though. We're standing in the kitchen right now. The main window would be over here, above the sink."

He went over each room with them and they made modifications to the plans. For the master bedroom, Ranka walked across its length.

"Can we make it bigger? I'd like to have enough room for a crib, so we can put it near the bed."

"Crib?!" repeated Sheryl in surprise. Her girlfriend was already thinking much farther into the future.

Ranka twiddled her index fingers. "Well... I thought that we'd adopt a couple of children. Is that ok?"

"No," said Sheryl, watching Ranka's pitiful yet adorable expression. When she had teased her long enough, she delivered her reason with a sly smile. "Not when we can visit the Zentraedi Clone Synthesis System."

Verdant locks bounced up and the gloom lifted from the Cinderella's face. "We... we can have our own children?!"

"You betcha!" winked Sheryl.

"Can we have two?"

The Fairy's eyes widened. "Two?"

The younger girl twiddled her index fingers. "If we only had one, she'd be lonely."

Memories of her childhood passed through the Galaxy Fairy's mind. Perhaps, if she had a sibling, being an orphan would have been more bearable. "Of course! We can have as many as you want!"

Ranka half-tackled her girlfriend. "You're the best!"

Meanwhile, Ozma sat sullenly in his car as he watched the two girls. They were acting like a pair of lovebirds that were planning their nest. His suspicious were confirmed when Ranka said something about having children. He turned away in disgust. Somehow, it irked him to see them like that. In a strange way, he felt a little jealous. After taking care of Ranka, he should have had his fill of raising a child, but yet, something was missing. Cathy's face flashed in his mind. He wondered if it was not too late.

"Even if I go to college, I'm staying with you," said Brera.

"Thanks," replied Ozma gruffly.

* * *

Sunday came and to Ranka's surprise, Ozma and Brera were also invited to the meeting. They gathered at the Protoculture Lab's meeting room. Cathy and Sheryl were there as well. The room dimmed as Dr. Jenus activated the projector. It showed Ai's landscapes.

Dr. Jenus pressed a few keys on a control panel and highlighted sections of Ai's artwork. "These match carvings on Mayan Island and some old Zentraedi artifacts. There's a very high probability that these planets were once inhabited by the Protoculture civilization."

He turned to Ai. "Ai, how long have your sisters been on these planets?"

"Many, many days and nights," replied Ai.

"How many carriers have they made? Is it as much as the number of eggs you care for?"

Ai thought for a moment and counted with her fingers. "More. Ten times more."

"At least three hundred years," said the scientist. "Vajra carriers take at least three years to build and only a fully matured queen could do it. Ai still has about twenty years before she reaches full maturity. Furthermore, a queen can only build it one at a time. Now, Ai, do you know if there were any inhabitants there before your sisters came?"

"I ask," said Ai and she closed her eyes. A few moments later, she replied, "No. Only small plants. No animals."

"That appears to be a characteristic of some of the Protoculture planets that UN Spacy has found. The planet looks barren, but there are indications of a once flourishing world," explained Dr. Jenus.

"So there are two planets out there that once belonged to some Protoculture race. Why's that so important?" asked Ozma.

"There could be more, Ozma-nii," replied Ranka. "More planets that could sustain life."

Cathy gasped in realization. "So that's what they were after. They didn't just want the Vajra for their fold abilities and firepower. They wanted the planets too."

"Quite so," agreed Dr. Jenus. He gestured to Ai's landscapes. "As you can see, these planets are thriving with life. Even in this red desert painting, there's an oasis in the background."

"Sisters fix it," said Ai.

"Based on our studies, I can confidently conclude that Vajra are capable of terraforming. Given time, they can convert an inhospitable planet into a livable one."

Cathy shuddered. "To think that Grace almost had the Vajra in her grasp. With the Vajra at her command, the human populace would fall under her control and she would have access to all the Vajra worlds."

Dr. Jenus nodded grimly. "That is why we continued to investigate what happened to the 117th fleet and Mr. Bilrer."

The lady president stood up. "I have an announcement to make. Mr. Bilrer has escaped."

"But the news said he was captured!" said Ozma.

"We thought he was. But we captured his clone instead. The prison only found out when the doctor did a physical."

Ozma banged his fist on the table. "Damn! He must've had outside help! Those multiple prison breakouts must've been planned so we wouldn't know that they'd be springing him. They switched him after he got out."

"I think so too," said Cathy. "When we captured the clone, it made us think we got him."

"Any idea where he's at now?"

"My intelligence indicates that he may have gone to Eden."

"That's a good guess," said Brera. "Grace often sent me there on missions."

"I'll need your help then," said Cathy. "We'll talk later. Dr. Jenus, please continue."

"Thank you, Madam President." The slide showed the remains of Galia IV. "Dr. Zore is leading an expedition to Galia IV. He's still there but he sends reports of his findings daily. He made some unusual discoveries. Apparently, Grace had been secretly abducting crew members and putting implants in them over the years."

He displayed a usual device that projected several glowing rings around a human. "With a combination of hypnotism and memory manipulation, she was able to fool her victims. They did not suspect that they've been implanted."

Ranka's eyes widened in recognition and pointed at the rings. "I remember that! Grace used that on me when I was trapped in Battle Galaxy!"

"Really? Thank space that you were able to overcome it!" exclaimed the scientist.

She remembered the warmth in her abdomen and feelings flowing in her heart when she awakened from that horrible state. "I... I heard Sheryl's song. She woke me up."

"Interesting..." mused Dr. Jenus. "Since you were able to resist it, we may be able to figure out a way counter it." He cleared his throat. "Now then, why was she doing this? Dr. Zore investigated some more. It seems that her network theory had matured to the point where she could implement it. He believes that she was planning to test it out. He estimates that she had implanted over three-quarters of the population in the 117th fleet."

"She was planning mutiny!" exclaimed Ozma.

"More than that, I believe. Ms. Lee had always assumed that her song brought the Vajra there. But Dr. Zore thinks otherwise. He found remnants of broken Vajra shells."

"She steal eggs!" shouted Ai angrily. Ranka had to put a hand on her shoulder to get her charge to calm down.

"That's very probable. She had half a dozen ghost fighters under her control. It's possible that the fighters stole the eggs for her. But why did she do that?"

"To lure the Vajra," replied Brera. "She needed the queen."

"Yes. As you can see from Ai's reaction, Vajra are very protective of their eggs. When forced to, the queen may come to retrieve them. With the 117th fleet under most of her control, she was going to try to capture the queen. However, Grace didn't succeed. It seems that portions of the fleet were sabotaged and air locks were overridden thus locking some of the controlled crewmembers in passageways. Dr. Zore accessed the security records. The overrides were issued by Dr. Mei and Dr. Nome."

"So that's it! They realized what Grace was up to and they tried to stop her," said Ozma.

Dr. Jenus nodded. "Quite so. They sacrificed everything to prevent Grace from advancing her schemes. However, it seems that they could not save themselves. Someone hacked into the main computer and started the self-destruct sequence on several of the ships. Furthermore, Dr. Zore found a body which had an implant. It looks like the implant exploded and killed the bearer. This may explain the lack of survivors in the fleet. The ones who had implants were killed off while those who didn't may have gotten killed during the fight between Grace and the Vajra."

He turned to Ai. "Even after Grace left, the queen stayed with the wreckage until it landed on Galia IV. Why did she do that, Ai?"

Ai closed her eyes for a few moments and then replied, "Egg-sister said she guard and wait."

"I thought so," said Dr. Jenus. "Here's my theory. Dr. Mei knew they were outnumbered and that Grace was destroying the ships in hope that she'll destroy them. Since she was able to communicate with the queen, she asked the queen to protect the Gloval and to prevent Grace from retrieving the network theory and Vajra data. I think that's why the queen stayed with the Gloval."

"If Grace had succeeded, what would've happened?" asked Sheryl.

"My guess is that she would've used the queen and attacked the Vajra home world sooner. The battle for this planet would've happened ten years ago instead of now."

"Mom..." wept Ranka.

Sheryl put an arm across Ranka's shoulders and the younger girl cried into her embrace. Blinking back, she fought her own tears. She lost her grandmother that day.

"We have to go to Eden," said Brera. "When I was working for Grace, she was in contact with people other than Bilrer."

"Agreed," said Cathy. "What do you suggest?"

"I'd like to assemble a small investigation force. I'll pick two or three other people to join me. For starters, I'll ask Luca Angelloni. LAI had done a lot of work for Bilrer and he would be helpful in recognizing the systems built for Bilrer."

"I'll go too," offered Ozma.

Brera shook his head. "You'd stand out. I'm a cyborg, so I can easily disguise myself."

"In that case, I'll send you a list of my best undercover agents," said Cathy.

"Thanks. That'll help."

After discussing their plans, they left the Protoculture lab. Since it was the weekend, Ranka and Ai left with Sheryl and Cathy.

"I hate to tell you this, girls, but both of you must be more careful now," said Cathy. "Bilrer's escape happened less than a week after the spaceport opened. NUNS will do what they can to improve security, but Frontier will have increasing traffic with the other colonies and worlds. If any of you notice anything strange, tell someone you trust."

"We'll let you know right away," replied Sheryl.

Cathy smiled at her decision. "Thank you for trusting me. I'll do everything I can to keep you safe. In the meantime, I'm afraid that I'll have to discourage any off-planet excursions for all of you until we have more information about Bilrer's movements. NUNS won't be able to provide as much protection if you leave the planet."

"I guess that means we won't be able to go on the class trip this summer," said Ranka sadly.

"And I also suggest not leaving the planet's orbit." When Sheryl paled, she added, "You deviated from your flight plan and folded away from Frontier. If Bilrer's agents were nearby and attacked, NUNS would be too far away to help you. Any of you would be quite a prize for Bilrer or the group that he works with. With the mind control technology that they have, they might use you to take over Vajra nests. Please consider this when you make plans. I ask that you bear with it for now. Once this is over, you can make it up with as many trips as you want."

They arrived at the Glass mansion and Ranka and Ai followed Sheryl to her room. After Sheryl closed the door, the younger girl hugged her beloved tightly from behind.

"I won't let them," said Ranka resolutely as she buried her face in the warmth of Sheryl's back. "I won't allow them to force us to live in fear, not when we're just beginning to make our lives here."

Sheryl turned in place and stroked her beloved's hair. "Me too. People might say that this is our fate, but I believe that fate is something you guide with your own hands." Her sky blue eyes hardened. "Through whatever storms await us, we'll fly through them together. We'll fight for our future."

"You're right," said Ranka as she intertwined their fingers. "I won't let them dictate our lives. We'll write our own fairytale, so we'll have our happy ending."

"I like how you said that," whispered Sheryl as she leaned down to capture the younger girl's lips. When she drew back, she winked, "But isn't the story a bit twisted? Cinderella ends up with the Fairy godmother instead of the prince."

The quarter-meltran slid her hand through those golden-coral locks. "That's why it's our fairytale, silly." With a hand behind the Fairy's head, she guided her lips down for another tender kiss.

"What about me?" asked Ai who was standing nearby.

They separated in embarrassment. They had forgotten that Ai and Hope were in the room. When they got over their shyness, Sheryl took Ai's left hand while Ranka took her right.

"You're part of the family too, Ai-chan," said Ranka. "We'll protect you as much as we can."

Ai grinned and hugged them tightly. Her belly glowed. "I happy. I protect you too."

* * *

The four of them sat at their usual lunch table. Without Alto, Brera and Luca, the table felt larger than usual.

"How long are they going to be away?" asked Nanase worriedly.

"I don't know," replied Ranka. "It's an important investigation and they have to go undercover."

"Will they send us emails?"

"Onii-chan said that they'll send reports whenever they can."

Nanase sighed and poked at her food. She looked around and noticed the ill-concealed glances from the nearby tables and passing students who were carrying their food trays.

"I'm not so sure we should eat here, Ranka."

Ranka glanced around furtively. She felt like a sheep amidst hungry wolves. "But where should we go? If we go where there are no other people around, that might be worse."

Nanase's shoulders drooped down. "Yeah."

"Let's hope they won't bother us," said Sheryl.

A few moments after she said that, five boys came over with their trays. The tallest one said, "All the tables are taken. Do you mind if we sit here?"

Unwilling to respond, they sat still for a few seconds. At that moment, a familiar, loud, obnoxious voice broke the silence.

"Hey, Pink! We've been looking for you," said Tadyana as Aris stood next to her. The rest of the Phoenix squadron and Akiha stood behind them. "Get up and bring your hare--OW!" winced the redhead as she stole an irritated glance at Aris who had elbowed her in the ribs. "Err... Come on and bring your crew with you."

Sheryl's face broke out in a grateful grin. She never thought that she would be so happy to see Tadyana. She stood up and put the cover on her lunch box. She smiled smugly at the boys and responded, "Sure, you can sit at this table."

Ranka, Nanase and Ai followed the Fairy's lead and left the table with the Phoenix squadron.

"Ranka, who are these people?" whispered Nanase discreetly.

"Sheryl's squadron. Don't worry. They're nice."

Suddenly, Tadyana turned around. She yelled at a couple of boys behind them. "You there! Stop following us or I'll kick your ass!"

Fear etched on their faces, the boys scurried away. Aris walked over to Ranka, Nanase and Ai and guided them forward.

"All of you go on ahead. I'll take the rear."

Nanase swallowed. "They're kinda scary..."

"Don't worry... they just act tough," whispered Ranka hurriedly.

They followed Eriko to an elevator where she slid an access card. A hidden panel slid open and she punched some keys. The elevator doors opened and they went inside.

As it ascended, Sheryl wondered where they were going. Finally, the elevator brought them to a small room with an access door to the roof. After Eriko unlocked the door, they went out and found that they were on the same level as the old VF-1 valkyrie. Eriko must know someone in Mihoshi's administration to get access to this level.

"Captain, why do have access to this place?" asked Sheryl.

"It's easy when you're related to the principal. I like to have a quiet place to relax, so I asked for access here. Besides, it's cool to see the valkyrie."

As they passed the old valkyrie, Sheryl noticed the pilot's name on the side of the cockpit: H. Ichijyo. Realization hit her.

"Wait a second! Is this the real one?" asked Sheryl excitedly as she pointed at the name.

Eriko smiled proudly. "Yes. Since we're related, uncle pulled some strings to get it out of UN Spacy's stockyard. It's great, isn't it?"

"Wow... I'll say..." remarked the Fairy in wonder as she stared at the valkyrie.

The captain continued, "Mihoshi started out as an acrobatic flying school. When the Zentraedi came, UN Spacy asked us to help train more pilots. After Minmay's song subdued the Zentraedi, my great grand aunt decided to add performance arts to its curriculum as well. More subjects got added along the years and Mihoshi became what it is today."

Her hand reached towards the sky. "Our founder wanted to help aspiring young people reach for their dreams. He wanted them to reach as far as they can, even as high as the stars themselves. That's why the school is named Mihoshi."

Eriko's unexpected and somewhat inspirational statement caused everyone else to gape in surprise at the usually serious third year. When the dark-haired girl noticed them, she hastily lowered her hand and cleared her throat to resume her somber dignity. She gestured to a shade cast by a nearby wall. "How about we set up the blanket here?"

While Kanagi and Akiha spread the blanket, Sheryl bowed gratefully. "Thanks for inviting us."

"No problem. Until they come back, feel free to hang out with us," replied Eriko.

"Ummm... How did you know?" asked Ranka carefully.

"Luca asked me to look after you. He knows I come up here a lot."

To their delight, Kanagi brought some fresh vegetables and fruit. They passed the containers around to get some.

"I grow them in the greenhouse and in the field near the forest," said Kanagi.

"Try the cherry tomatoes, Pink. They're really good!" said Tadyana.

Sheryl picked one, but instead of popping it in her mouth, she offered it to Ranka. "Say ahhh..."

Ranka blushed to her ears. At first, she hesitated, but after seeing Sheryl's expectant face, she opened her mouth. Slender fingers deposited the tomato inside and its tips brushed against her lips.

When the Cinderella popped the cherry tomato in her mouth, its sweet and tangy flavor tickled her tongue. Her verdant locks rose in response to the delightful flavor.

"How adorable!" exclaimed the redhead. She picked up a tomato and held it up towards Ranka. "Can I feed h---" Her hand swiveled away and moved towards the silver-haired girl. "...you, Aris?" A drop of sweat rolled down her temple.

Aris had fixed Tadyana with dagger-like eyes. She opened her mouth and chomped on the offered tomato.

After lunch, they walked around the roof and enjoyed the view.

"S-stop it, Akiha!" cried Kanagi as Akiha's pink ponytail dove down her blouse. The cloth over her chest twitched. "There are other people around!"

"Lucky girl..." muttered Tadyana. "And your girlfriend too."

"About the hair?" asked Sheryl.

"Yeah." The redhead lifted her ponytail. "Not everyone can do it." Then a sly smirk formed on her face. "Betcha you have fun in bed..."

As memories of that date flooded her mind, Sheryl blushed uncontrollably. She managed to return the smirk, knowing what the redhead would never experience. "No comment."

* * *

Next week became a flurry of activity for Ranka and Sheryl with the release of their singles. There were press conferences, magazine interviews and photo shoots for both girls.

Elmo sat in his office in a state of nail-biting nervousness. He had been monitoring the single sales for the past few days and Sheryl's single was in the lead by just a little bit. He reviewed his checklist again. Radio and TV commercials were in place, several magazines and papers were running ads, and music stores were giving out stickers and pens. He wondered if he missed anything.

He glanced at the sales figures again. There must be something he could do to boost sales. While he looked at it, the Galaxy Fairy's graph updated again. He sighed in defeat. Perhaps, it was too early for Ranka to challenge the established idol with her own song.

Maybe, a promotional poster would help. What theme should he use? He had already done the innocent look. He played the Cinderella's song to figure out some sort of theme for the poster.

_I feel your guiding hand.  
Let me know your touch.  
In your arms like this,  
You make me want you.  
I hear your shining song  
And my true self awakens.  
Each moment together  
Becomes a star in the sky.  
My night is bright with joy._

After listening to it several times, he could not imagine a good theme. He tried to approach it from a different angle. Like Ranka's, the Galaxy Fairy's single was like a ballad but with a slightly faster beat. Perhaps, Ranka should outdo the Galaxy Fairy with a more high-energy version of her single. A composer could be hired to rewrite it and Ranka would do a recording next weekend.

He lowered the volume on Ranka's song and played Sheryl's to get an idea of its beat. After listening for a minute, he noticed it. He increased the volume on Ranka's song and listened again.

_**Within these palms,  
I give you my hope.**_

_I feel your guiding hand.  
Let me know your touch._

_**Within these arms  
I give you my love.**_

_In your arms like this  
You make me want you._

**_From these lips, I sing  
To move your gentle heart._**

_I hear your shining song  
And my true self awakens._

_**Let our voices be one  
And light the sky with love.**_

_Each moment together  
Becomes a star in the sky.  
My night is bright with joy._

"Deculture! How can this be?!" exclaimed Elmo. The lyrics were too coincidental. It was as if he was hearing a dialogue. And it was not just the lyrics only. The music from the singles blended too well together, like melody and counterpoint.

The nail biting resumed as he paced across the office. Ranka really leveled up to harmonize like that. Did she work with Sheryl? If so, Galaxy Records might not like the collaboration. Entertainment Universe could sue them for using Sheryl's talent. He slumped onto the sofa.

"Ranka! What have you done?!"

Worse of all, they sounded like a pair of lovers serenading each other. "There... a caress in that note..."

His heart jumped at the thought. What if they were? They always sounded good together, especially when they sang a medley of songs during the Frontier Festival concert. He cradled his head between his hands and ruffled his hair in frustration. "Why didn't I notice it before? This is super duper bad! Yakk! The scandal!"

Should he pull the single? A beep from the computer caught his attention. To his surprise and subsequent elation, Ranka was now in the lead by a small margin. He should be leaping with joy at the moment, but the weight of his discovery dampened his spirits.

There was only one way to settle this. He picked up the phone and punched Ranka's number. As her manager, he had to know the truth as soon as possible to contain the damage. He hoped that Ranka was available after school.

The Cinderella agreed to meet him at his office. When she arrived, he dispensed with pleasantries as fast as possible and demonstrated his discovery.

"Did you work with her?"

To his relief, Ranka shook her head. "No. This is my song. I wrote it from scratch."

However, her answer did not solve the mystery of why the two singles harmonized. "Has she seen it before?"

"Well... she saw my first draft several months ago, but it changed so much since then. It really is my own song!"

"So she's never worked with you on it?" pressed Elmo.

"No! Never!"

"Thank space! I was worried that Entertainment Universe would sue us for it."

"You don't have to worry about that."

Elmo leaned forward. "I do worry about you two. Why do you sound like this? I thought you were rivals."

Ranka looked away. Her blush betrayed her.

"Deculture... how long has this been going on...?" said Elmo slowly.

The quarter-meltran's hands clutched her skirt tightly as her bangs hid her eyes. She mumbled, "After my last concert..."

"If your fans find out, what will you do?"

"I... I don't know... I'll figure something out if they do."

"What should I do about the single?"

That verdant head whipped towards him and fiery irises held his gaze in a challenge. "Is there something wrong with it?"

Elmo sighed and ruffled the back of his head. "No."

Before letting her leave, he arranged another photo shoot for the poster. There was no guarantee that sales would keep her in the lead, so he may as well try the poster. Once more, he sat down to listen. They sounded good together. He sighed. Sooner or later, someone would find out. But in the meantime, he hoped that their songs would open the hearts of anyone who listened. Their songs were about being in love and celebrating joy in living.

Nostalgia filled his mind and he remembered the reason why he quit being a soldier and worked in the entertainment industry. Those were thrilling days and after hearing something unique like this, today was another thrilling one. Feeling lucky in discovering it, he stood up and proclaimed, "Songs are Culture and Culture is Love!"

* * *

Elmo's questions bothered Ranka to the point that Brera noticed her mood during dinner.

"What's wrong, Ranka?" asked her brother. "You don't seem to have an appetite."

"Elmo thinks that Sheryl and I collaborated on my song. He asked if she's ever read it or heard it."

"The new one?"

"Yes."

The cyborg sat up slightly and looked as if he was deep in thought for a few seconds. "Maybe she did. I just searched through my memory banks for all the occasions in which you sang that song. I found a match during the day she came out of stasis. You were composing on your digipad."

Her eyes went round. "I sang it then?"

"Yes. I can show it to you after dinner. The sequence of events is that you sat by the cocoon around 1:43 PM, sang part of the song at 2:51 PM and the cocoon started to break at 2:52 PM."

"But wasn't she asleep or something?"

Brera shrugged. "There's very little data about a human's state during Vajra induced stasis. I can't make any conclusions on whether she was conscious or not. However, the cocoon broke around that time which could indicate that she may have been partly or fully conscious and heard you."

Later that evening, Ranka talked to Sheryl in the link and told her about Elmo's discovery. "Onii-chan showed me his memories of the day when you came out of the cocoon. I sang part of it that time. Did you... hear it?"

Sheryl rubbed her forehead. "I... I don't know... My memories of that time were really hazy." She closed her eyes and thought for a while. "I do remember hearing your voice... but it was so far away. I was trying to move toward it and then before I knew it, I woke up in your arms."

The Galaxy Fairy opened her eyes. "I'm sorry... Maybe I did hear it somehow. Are you going to get in trouble?"

Ranka embraced her tenderly. "It's ok. I'll deal with it when it happens. Besides, it's supposed to be my song for you."

Sheryl ran her hands through that verdant hair which wrapped around her fingers playfully. "Thank you. I love it. Most of all, I love you." She leaned down and kissed her deeply.

The Cinderella broke off the kiss briefly to whisper, "I love you too." Then she wove her arm around the Fairy's neck and pulled her girlfriend down for a passionate exchange of kisses.

Meanwhile, a restaurant in the Galaxy colony played Ranka's new single for its patrons who sat on benches along the sidewalk. A car parked in front of the restaurant and the driver got out to unload the trunk. The car's radio was playing Sheryl's new single. As the melodies played simultaneously, the waiting patrons stopped chatting and the driver paused while moving a box. Silently, they listened to the impromptu serenade.

* * *

_Frontier Generations: Serenade, Fin._

* * *

Music References:

* Robin Guvriel - Her name comes from Gabriela Robin, a mysterious singer who writes lyrics for Yoko Kanno as well as singing some of Kanno's songs. She has never been interviewed or photographed. Rumor has it that she is an alias for Kanno herself. Gabriela wrote lyrics for a lot of Macross Frontier songs such as Lion and Aimo, Aimo (Bird Human) and Yosei. Yoko Kanno composed the music for Macross Frontier OST 1 & 2. She had also conducted her music with the Warsaw Philharmonic, so I added conducting to Robin's coursework.  
* Megan Knackegymma - Her name comes from Nakajima Megumi, Ranka's singing voice.  
* Ken Adean - His name comes from Kentaro Haneda, composer of My Boyfriend is a Pilot.  
* What 'Bout My Star?" - Sheryl's dance was inspired by a youtube video of May'N. Use the keywords: Macross Frontier Sheryl Nome - May'n in Singapore (Anime Festival Asia '08)  
* Interstellar Flight Duet - Probably sung by May'n and Megumi at the budokan. Available on youtube by using the keywords: Sheryl And Ranka Singing Interstellar Flight

* * *

Author's Note:

As I've mentioned before, FG: Wings and Serenade follow the Macross formula of a daredevil pilot and an enchanting singer. Hence, Wings is flying related while Serenade is music related. The two fics also complement each other in another aspect. Wings shows more of the physical side of a relationship while Serenade chapters 1-3 shows more of the emotional and psychological side. Serenade chapters 4 and 5 contain more of a balance of the physical and emotional aspects as the two girls learn more about each other.

Sheryl and Ranka's story continues in **A Fairy's Farewell**.  
Alto, Brera and Luca's investigation continues in **Man and Machine**.

For more She/Ran related stuff, such as fanart, winamp skins, sheet music, etc... please visit my website which is listed in my profile.

Until next Deculture!

- cyr


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